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Laser induced crystallization: A method for preparing silicon thin film solar cells

Conference ·
OSTI ID:304339
; ; ;  [1]
  1. Inst. fuer Physikalische Hochtechnologie e.V., Jena (Germany)
The preparation of coarse grained silicon thin films on glass suited for solar cells is investigated. The authors start from amorphous hydrogenated silicon thin films several 100 nm thick deposited on glass. Different laser crystallization processes are discussed. By an Ar{sup +} laser scan the amorphous layer is melted and recrystallized to grains several 10 {micro}m in size. Alternatively an explosive crystallization process was applied in which the film is preheated to 1000 C by an Ar{sup +} laser. The explosive crystallization is induced by an additional Nd:YAG laser pulse. In this process at any position the melt exists only for some ns. Grains of several {micro}m in length were produced. The films were thickened to several {micro}m by simultaneous deposition of further a-Si:H and in situ epitactic crystallization applying repeated excimer laser pulses.
OSTI ID:
304339
Report Number(s):
CONF-970953--
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English