Vacuum deposited polycrystalline silicon films for solar cell applications. Quarterly technical progress report No. 2, January 1-March 31, 1979

Technical Report · Mon Apr 30 00:00:00 EDT 1979

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5718849· OSTI ID:5718849

Feldman, C.

Research is being conducted on grain growth phenomena and interactions pertaining to an all-vacuum deposition technique for fabricating thin-film polycrystalline silicon solar cells. Investigations dealt primarily with the structure silicon/TiB/sub 2//alumina substrate, which seems thus far to be the most satisfactory from the standpoint of stability and potential applicability to low-cost solar cells. Secondary ion mass spectrometry was used to study the various interfaces of the device structure and revealed important information on possible sources of impurities and instabilities. Investigation of the B/Ti couple on alumina indicated that a stoichiometric TiB/sub 2/ back electrode could easily be formed and that excess boron could be removed, probably through reaction with water vapor. Unusually large unoriented grains (approx. 30 ..mu..m) were grown under certain conditions that are described, but not yet fully understood.

• Research Organization: Johns Hopkins Univ., Laurel, MD (USA). Applied Physics Lab.
• DOE Contract Number: ET-78-A-03-2208
• OSTI ID: 5718849
• Report Number(s): SAN-2208-T2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
SILICON
VACUUM COATING
SILICON SOLAR CELLS
FABRICATION
ADHESION
ALUMINIUM OXIDES
EFFICIENCY
ETCHING
FILMS
GRAIN BOUNDARIES
IMPURITIES
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
PERFORMANCE
POLYCRYSTALS
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
SUBSTRATES
TITANIUM BORIDES
X-RAY DIFFRACTION
ALUMINIUM COMPOUNDS
BORIDES
BORON COMPOUNDS
CHALCOGENIDES
COHERENT SCATTERING
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
CRYSTALS
DEPOSITION
DIFFRACTION
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELEMENTS
MICROSTRUCTURE
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
SCATTERING
SEMIMETALS
SOLAR CELLS
SPECTROSCOPY
SURFACE COATING
SURFACE FINISHING
TITANIUM COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
140501* - Solar Energy Conversion- Photovoltaic Conversion
360601 - Other Materials- Preparation & Manufacture