Silicon nanoholes (Si NHs) were synthesized by a simple metal-assisted chemical etching method. With different pre-etching time of Ag particles, Si NHs with different morphology and Si nanowires (NWs) were prepared. After tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide (TMAH) etching, the NH sample with preetching Ag particles for 20 min show average reflectance below 5% which is comparable to the reflectance of the NW sample. The minority carrier lifetime of this NH sample is 58.2 mu s due to their low surface recombination, while the lifetime of the NWs is 38.0 mu s under the same iodine-ethanol passivation. (C) 2014 Published by Elsevier B.V.