Silicon-on ceramic process: silicon sheet growth and device development for the large-area silicon sheet task of the Low-Cost Solar Array Project. Quarterly report No. 14, January 1-March 31, 1980
The purpose of this research program is to investigate the technical and economic feasibility of producing solar-cell-quality sheet silicon by coating inexpensive ceramic substrates with a thin layer of polycrystalline silicon. The coating methods to be developed are directed toward a minimum-cost process for producing solar cells with a terrestrial conversion efficiency of 11% or greater. By applying a graphite coating to one face of a ceramic substrate, molten silicon can be made to wet only that graphite-coated face and produce uniform, thin layers of large-grain polycrystalline silicon; thus, only a minimal quantity of silicon is consumed. A dip-coating method for putting silicon on ceramic (SOC) has been shown to produce solar-cell-quality sheet silicon. This method and a continuous-coating process also being investigated have excellent scale-up potential which offers an outstanding, cost-effective way to manufacture large-area solar cells. The dip-coating investigation has shown that, as the substrate is pulled from the molten silicon, crystallization continues to occur from previously grown silicon. Therefore, as the substrate length is increased (as would be the case in a scaled-up process), the expectancy for larger crystallites increases. Results and accomplishments are reported. (WHK)
- Research Organization:
- Honeywell Corporate Material Sciences Center, Bloomington, MN (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- NAS-7-100-954356
- OSTI ID:
- 5398404
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/JPL/954356-80/12
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Silicon-on-ceramic coating process. Silicon sheet growth development for the Large-Area Silicon Sheet and Cell Development Tasks of the Low-Cost Silicon Solar Array Project. Quarterly report No. 8, December 28, 1977--March 28, 1977
Silicon-on ceramic process. Silicon sheet growth and device developmentt for the Large-Area Silicon Sheet Task of the Low-Cost Solar Array Project. Quarterly report No. 13, October 1-December 31, 1979
Related Subjects
140501* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Photovoltaic Conversion
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360601 -- Other Materials-- Preparation & Manufacture
ANNEALING
CARBON
CERAMICS
COATINGS
CRYSTALS
DATA
DATA FORMS
DEPOSITION
DIFFUSION LENGTH
DIP COATING
DIPPED COATINGS
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
ECONOMICS
EFFICIENCY
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELEMENTS
EQUIPMENT
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FABRICATION
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
FILL FACTORS
GRAPHITE
HEAT TREATMENTS
INFORMATION
INORGANIC ION EXCHANGERS
ION EXCHANGE MATERIALS
ION IMPLANTATION
MINERALS
MULLITE
NONMETALS
NUMERICAL DATA
PERFORMANCE
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
POLYCRYSTALS
SEMIMETALS
SHEETS
SILICON
SILICON SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
STRESSES
SUBSTRATES
SURFACE COATING
TABLES
THERMAL STRESSES