Abstract

Silicon is the second most abundant element found in the earth’s crust [1] and has been identified as a component of interplanetary dust resulting from nucleosynthesis in supernovae [2]. Both its electrical properties and terrestrial abundance have propelled silicon to its foundational status in modern integrated circuit technology. Low-cost, high-volume production of high purity single crystals through the Czochralski crystal-growth process have made silicon the material of choice for microprocessors that are nearly ubiquitous in electronic devices. In terms of renewable energy, silicon is used heavily in photovoltaic solar panels. With a global market share of about 90%, crystalline silicon is by far the most important photovoltaic technology today [3]. In terms of biomedical applications, silicon has been shown to be both nonimmunogenic [4] and also biodegradable with the reported in vivo half-life of silicic acid being approximately one week [5].