KVN is a research engineer in Silicon Photovoltaics at IMEC. WR is an Associated professor at Physics Department at Alexandria University, Egypt. IG is the manager of Silicon Photovoltaics at IMEC, Belgium. JP is a professor at ESAT LY2874455 cost Department of KU Leuven and the photovoltaics program director at IMEC, Belgium. References 1. Brendel R: Review of layer transfer processes

for crystalline thin-film silicon solar cells. Jap J of Appl Phys 2001, 40:4431–4439. 10.1143/JJAP.40.4431CrossRef 2. Yonehara T, Sakaguchi K, ELTRAN: (SOI-EPI WaferTM) Technology: Progress in semiconductor-on-insulator structures and devices operating at extreme conditions. In NATO Science Series. Edited by: Balestra F, Nazarov A. The NVP-BGJ398 clinical trial Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers; 2002:39–86. 3. Sivaramakrishnan Radhakrishnan H, Martini R, Depauw V, Van Nieuwenhuysen K, Debucquoy M, Govaerts J, Gordon I, Mertens R, Poortmans J: Improving the quality of epitaxial foils produced using a porous silicon-based layer transfer process for high-efficiency thin film crystalline silicon solar cells. IEEE J of Photovoltaics 2014, 4:70–77.CrossRef 4. Barla K, Herino R, Bomchil G, Pfister JC: Determination of lattice parameter and elastic properties of porous silicon by x-ray diffraction. J of Crystal Growth 1984, 68:727–732. 10.1016/0022-0248(84)90111-8CrossRef

Selleck Cisplatin 5. Bellet D, Dolino G: X-ray diffraction observation of porous-silicon wetting. Phys Rev B 1994, 50:17162–17165. 10.1103/PhysRevB.50.17162CrossRef 6. Martini R, Sivaramakrishnan Radhakrishnan H, Depauw V, Van Nieuwenhuysen K, Gordon I, Gonzalez M, Poortmans J: Improvement of seed layer smoothness for epitaxial growth on porous silicon. MRS Proceedings 2014, Sinomenine 1536:97–102.CrossRef 7. Lamedica G, Balucani M, Ferrari A, Bondarenko V, Yakovtseva V, Dolgyi L: X-ray diffractometry of Si epilayers grown on porous silicon. Mater Sci Eng 2002, 91–92:445–448.CrossRef 8. Bensaid A, Patrat G, Brunel M, de Bergevin F, Herino R: Characterization of porous silicon layers by grazing-incidence x-ray fluorescence and diffraction. Solid State Commun 1991, 79:923–928. 10.1016/0038-1098(91)90444-ZCrossRef

9. Labunov V, Bondarenko V, Glinenko L, Dorofeev A, Tabulina L: Heat treatment effect on porous silicon. Thin Solid Films 1986, 137:123–134. 10.1016/0040-6090(86)90200-2CrossRef 10. Sugiyama H, Nittono O: Annealing effect on lattice distortion in anodized porous silicon layers. Jap J of Appl Phys 1989, 28:L2013-L2016. 10.1143/JJAP.28.L2013CrossRef 11. Chelyadinsky AR, Dorofeev AM, Kazuchits NM, La Monica S, Lazarouk SK, Maiello G, Masini G, Penina NM, Stelmakh VF, Bondarenko VP, Ferrari A: Deformation of porous silicon lattice caused by absorption/desorption processes. J Electrochem Soc 1997, 144:1463–1468. 10.1149/1.1837612CrossRef Competing interests The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Authors’ contributions For the technical issues, MK performed XRD, HRP and SEM and wrote the manuscript. RM performed HRP and SEM.