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Pulling thin single crystal silicon wafers from a melt: The new leading-edge solar substrate

Journal Article · · Journal of Crystal Growth
 [1];  [2];  [2];  [2]
  1. Leading Edge Equipment Technologies, Wilmington, MA (United States); Leading Edge Equipment Technologies
  2. Leading Edge Equipment Technologies, Wilmington, MA (United States)
+ Show Author Affiliations
The Floating Silicon Method (FSM) has been established as a viable, stable method for growing single crystal ribbons directly from a silicon melt. With intense helium jet cooling to drive the linear progress of a [111] facet, pulled in the <110> direction, ribbons in the 0.6 – 3.0 mm thickness range can be grown at linear growth rates from 0.3 mm/s to >6 mm/s as reported in the literature. We report on recent progress towards growing (100) oriented ribbons with a net thickness of less than 200 microns and a ribbon width up to 18 cm using a stable, continuous process in the Leading Edge prototype furnace. Here, the 3D details of the single crystal growth are explained by extending the mechanics of the Limit Cycle Theory, with novel Internal Side Effect morphology described by a proposed Facet Flow Theory. Grown-in crystalline defect distributions are described as well as values of critical impurities like oxygen, carbon, dopants, and metals that are relevant for use as wafers for solar cells.
Research Organization:
Leading Edge Equipment Technologies, Wilmington, MA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE); USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office
Grant/Contract Number:
EE0008132; EE0008971
OSTI ID:
1862827
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1899591
Journal Information:
Journal of Crystal Growth, Journal Name: Journal of Crystal Growth Vol. 584; ISSN 0022-0248
Publisher:
ElsevierCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (9)

Dendritic and spheroidal growth journal July 1961
A new method for growing crystal ribbons journal April 1969
Improvements in the Horizontal Ribbon Growth technique for single crystal silicon journal September 1980
Dynamics of partially faceted melt/crystal interfaces I: computational approach and single step–source calculations journal July 2004
Floating Silicon Method single crystal ribbon – observations and proposed limit cycle theory journal October 2016
Effect of Microscopic Growth Rate on Oxygen Microsegregation and Swirl Defect Distribution in Czochralski‐Grown Silicon journal December 1979
Quantitative Analysis of Microsegregation in Silicon Grown by the Czochralski Method journal February 1976
A New Preferential Etch for Defects in Silicon Crystals journal May 1977
Application of Interface Demarcation to the Study of Facet Growth and Segregation: Germanium journal January 1974

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Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
A2. Horizontal ribbon growth A1. Single crystal growth A1. Growth models A1. Interfaces A1. Interface kinetics A1. Roughening
Growth models
Horizontal ribbon growth
Interface kinetics
Interfaces
Roughening
Single crystal growth