The improved performance in the conversion of light to electricity is a definite fact. If you download the papers they have published you find out that they tested the process on an infrared detector. Not only did they note the increased performance in the infrared, but the chip now reacts equally well with visible light.
The statement of 5-10X is a very rough estimation BY ME based on the graphs they provided, so take it with a grain of salt. The very best solar cells are about 25% efficient. This new form of silicon is in theory 90% efficient. In addition, this efficiency extends well into the UV and IR spectrums. In the end, though, they have not tested this process on solar cells, so 5-10X is mostly theoretical.
Another detail - the researchers believe that there is also a chemical process happening. The texturing and performance increase only occurs in the presence of halogen gasses. They believe that the halogens are combining with the silicon to provide extra energy bands to capture light.
I would encourage everybody to look at the .pdf's they have at their site. They are very interesting.
Created on Monday, June 04, 2001 10:50 AM EDT by Clay G Codner