Vacuum deposited polycrystalline silicon films for solar cell applications. Second quarterly technical progress report. January 1-March 31, 1980

Technical Report · Thu May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1980

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5355279· OSTI ID:5355279

Feldman, C.; Blum, N. A.; Satkiewicz, F. G.

A careful study of a specially formed thin silicon layer on TiB/sub 2/-coated sapphire reveals that the interaction layer of TiSi/sub 2/ is composed of larger grains. Processing steps were developed which lead closer to the goal of fabricating polycrystalline silicon photovoltaic devices completely by vacuum deposition. Both n-type and p-type silicon are now being deposited. New deposition masks were made for depositing the n-regions upon the p-layers. New electrode deposition masks were also made for a direct electroding process to replace the photolithographic process used previously. The TiB/sub 2/ bottom electrode fabrication has been achieved in a single vacuum chamber. Reaction constants and activation energy for TiB/sub 2/ layer formation were determined to be less than those reported by other authors for bulk material. Studies of crystallite growth and interfacial interactions have continued. Major sources of undesirable impurities have been identified and removed from the vacuum chambers. The changes made this quarter have not been incorporated into a completed photovoltaic device.

• Research Organization: Johns Hopkins Univ., Laurel, MD (USA). Applied Physics Lab.
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-77CH00178
• OSTI ID: 5355279
• Report Number(s): SERI/PR-8278-1-T2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
SILICON
VACUUM COATING
SILICON SOLAR CELLS
FABRICATION
ELECTRIC CONTACTS
ELECTRODES
FILMS
GRAIN SIZE
IMPURITIES
ION MICROPROBE ANALYSIS
MASKING
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
N-TYPE CONDUCTORS
P-TYPE CONDUCTORS
PERFORMANCE
POLYCRYSTALS
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
SUBSTRATES
TITANIUM BORIDES
X-RAY DIFFRACTION
BORIDES
BORON COMPOUNDS
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
COHERENT SCATTERING
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
CRYSTALS
DEPOSITION
DIFFRACTION
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
ELEMENTS
EQUIPMENT
MATERIALS
MICROSCOPY
MICROSTRUCTURE
NONDESTRUCTIVE ANALYSIS
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
SCATTERING
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
SEMIMETALS
SIZE
SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SPECTROSCOPY
SURFACE COATING
TITANIUM COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
140501* - Solar Energy Conversion- Photovoltaic Conversion
360601 - Other Materials- Preparation & Manufacture