Growth kinetics studies of silicon LPE from metal solutions

Book · Sat Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1994

OSTI ID:191004

Wang, T H; Ciszek, T F ^[1]

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1. National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (United States)

Growth kinetics of silicon liquid phase epitaxy (LPE) from metal solutions was studied in pursuit of device-quality layer formation on cast, metallurgical grade silicon (MG-Si) substrates for solar cells. The authors report that a mixture of Al and Cu as a solvent for Si enhances solution wetting to the substrate by Al-SiO{sub 2} reaction, and generates isotropic growth and macroscopically smooth surfaces due to its high solvent power. This solvent system also controls Al incorporation into the layer by proper Al and Cu compositions in the solution. The layer growth rate was calculated with a rough interface/diffusion boundary layer model and was found to be in good agreement with experimental results, indicating only a small boundary layer ({approximately}0.1 cm) and a silicon diffusivity of {approximately}2 {times} 10{sup {minus}4} cm{sup 2}/s in the liquid. The thin layer ({approximately} 30 {micro}m) grown on the MG-Si substrate has a minority-carrier diffusion length greater than the layer thickness.

• DOE Contract Number: AC36-83CH10093
• OSTI ID: 191004
• Report Number(s): CONF-941203--; ISBN 0-7803-1459-X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ALUMINIUM
COPPER
CRYSTAL GROWTH
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
INDIUM
ION MICROPROBE ANALYSIS
LIQUID METALS
LIQUID PHASE EPITAXY
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
MATERIALS
MORPHOLOGY
OXIDES
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
SILICON
SILICON SOLAR CELLS
SURFACE CLEANING
TIME DEPENDENCE