Nanowires (NWs) are recently used in several sensor or actuator devices to improve their ordered characteristics. Silicon nanowire (Si NW) is one of the most attractive one-dimensional nanostructures semiconductors because of its unique electrical and optical properties. In this paper, Silicon nanowire (Si NW), is synthesized and characterized for application in photovoltaic device. Si NWs are prepared using wet chemical etching method which is commonly used as a simple and low cost method for producing nanowires of the same substrate material. The process conditions are adjusted to find the best quality of Si NWs. Morphology of Si NWs is studied using a field emission scanning electron microscopic technique. An energy dispersive X-Ray analyzer is also used to provide elemental identification and quantitative compositional information. Subsequently, Schottky type solar cell samples are fabricated on Si and Si NWs using ITO and Ag contacts. The junction properties are calculated using I-V curves in dark condition and the solar cell I-V characteristics are obtained under incident of the standardized light of AM1.5. The results for the two mentioned Schottky solar cell samples are compared and discussed. An improvement in short circuit current and efficiency of Schottky solar cell is found when Si nanowires are employed.

Three different materials (aluminum, ferro-Silicon and Silicon ) were used as ‎antioxidants in order to prevent the decarburization process and to keep and/or ‎increase the final properties in MgO-C refractories. Their effects were compared by ‎measuring the physical and mechanical properties as well as oxidation and the ‎resultant phases and microstructures, in the temperature range of 200-1600°C. High ‎temperature oxidation was measured up to 1000°C. The impurities of the aluminum ‎and Silicon powders were less than 1%. The ferro-Silicon contains 2-5% Al, and 10-‎‎20% Fe. Results indicate that the oxidation of the samples were much better in the ‎ferroSilicon that aluminum and Silicon case. The CCS measurements indicate more ‎improvements due to the effects of ferro-Silicon than Silicon case. Results indicate that ‎aluminum is more effective at low temperature. However, at higher temperatures, the ‎other two anti-oxidants are more effective. The phase analysis indicates that the ‎reaction of M__2S phase with other phases might cause some reduction of high ‎temperature behaviors. Also, phase analysis indicates the formation of MgO-‎FeO/Fe__2O__3 phase, aluminum and Silicon carbides as well as Spinel phase in the ‎samples‏.‏