Black silicon

Black silicon is a special kind of silicon that looks black to our eyes. It is made by taking regular silicon and shooting it with a special kind of laser. The laser makes tiny little spikes or bumps all over the surface of the silicon, kind of like a really rough piece of sandpaper. These bumps make the silicon absorb more light than regular silicon does, so it can be used in things like solar cells to make them more efficient at turning sunlight into electricity. Think of it like putting little tiny hooks onto the surface so they can grab hold of more light. Even though the silicon is black, it is still made of the same stuff as regular silicon and can be used in all the same ways!