A new fabrication method for multicrystalline silicon layers on graphite substrates suited for low-cost thin film solar cells

Book · Sat Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1994

OSTI ID:191031

Pauli, M ^[1]; Reindl, T; Kruehler, W ^[2]; Homberg, F; Mueller, J ^[3]

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1. Max-Planck-Inst. fuer Festkoerperforschung, Stuttgart (Germany)
2. Siemens AG, Muenchen (Germany). Corporate Research and Development
3. Technische Univ. Hamburg-Harburg, Hamburg (Germany)

A new method for the fabrication of a columnar, multicrystalline silicon layer on a graphite substrate is presented. This method basically involves three process steps: (1) deposition of a thin (3--5 {micro}m) silicon layer; (2) zone melting recrystallization of this layer with a line electron beam as the heat source to form a multicrystalline seed layer; (3) thickening of the seed layer by high temperature, epitaxial chemical vapor deposition (CVD) to a thickness of 20--40 {micro}m. The recrystallization leads to (110)[112]-textured silicon seed layers if sufficiently high scan velocities are applied. The degree of deviation from the ideal (110)[112]-texture increases with decreasing scan velocity. The doping level of the seed layer is found to be only weakly affected by the zone melting recrystallization. The epitaxial layer grown on top of the seed layer exhibits a columnar grain structure.

• OSTI ID: 191031
• 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
BORANES
BORON
CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION
CRYSTAL LATTICES
DOPED MATERIALS
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FABRICATION
GONIOMETERS
GRAIN BOUNDARIES
HYDROGEN
INTERFACES
MATERIALS
MICROSTRUCTURE
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
SILANES
SILICON
SILICON SOLAR CELLS
SPUTTERING
X-RAY EQUIPMENT
ZONE MELTING