Thin films of silicon on low-cost substrates. Quarterly project report No. 3, March 1, 1977--May 31, 1977

Technical Report · Wed Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1977

OSTI ID:5128569

Chu, T L

Efforts were directed to the preparation and characterization of silicon films, p--n junctions, and solar cells on purified metallurgical silicon substrates. A final group of passivated epitaxial silicon mesa diodes on metallurgical silicon substrates was prepared, and their dark forward characteristics were measured and analyzed. The results have confirmed the earlier conclusion that carrier recombinations at grain boundaries can be combined with those in the space region in the two-exponential model. A high resolution apparatus for the measurement of potential barriers at grain boundaries in epitaxial silicon films on metallurgical silicon substrates was assembled. Initial measurements indicated a measurable voltage drop at all grain boundaries. Large area (30 cm/sup 2/) solar cells prepared by successively depositing p- and n/sup +/-silicon films on purified p/sup +/-metallurgical silicon substrates have AM1 efficiencies of about 7.5%. The spectral response of polycrystalline silicon solar cells was measured under light bias. Preliminary work on the measurement of dopant profile in polycrystalline silicon solar cells by a combination of grooving and spreading resistance techniques was carried out.

• Research Organization: Southern Methodist Univ., Dallas, Tex. (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5128569
• Report Number(s): SAN-1285-3
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140501* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Photovoltaic Conversion
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
CRYSTALS
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
EFFICIENCY
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELEMENTS
EPITAXY
FABRICATION
FILMS
GRAIN BOUNDARIES
IMPURITIES
JUNCTIONS
MICROSTRUCTURE
P-N JUNCTIONS
PERFORMANCE TESTING
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
POLYCRYSTALS
RECOMBINATION
SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
SEMICONDUCTOR DIODES
SEMICONDUCTOR JUNCTIONS
SEMIMETALS
SILICON
SILICON SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR CELLS
SPECTRAL RESPONSE
SUBSTRATES
TESTING
VOLTAGE DROP