Continuous process for fabricating solar cells and the product produced thereby

Patent · Tue May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1979

OSTI ID:5861932

Deminet, C; Horne, W E; Oettel, R E

The process comprises the following steps: (1) forming a glass sheet which defines a substrate layer for the solar cell product; (2) forming a diffusion barrier layer on at least one surface of the substrate; (3) forming a first electrically-conductive layer on the diffusion barrier, the first electrically-conductive layer being a first electrode in the solar cell product; (4) depositing small-grain polycrystalline silicon in a thin film, i.e., 10 to 100 micrometers, on the first electrode layer; (5) recrystallizing, typically by heating, the deposited polycrystalline silicon until it reforms into large-grain polycrystalline or single-crystal silicon; (6) forming a PN junction in the recrystallized silicon layer; and (7) forming a second electrically-conductive layer on the recrystallized silicon layer, the second electrically-conductive layer being a second electrode in the solar cell product. The solar cell product produced by the above-process may be fabricated in large surface area configurations, suitable for terrestrial as well as extra-terrestrial use, at relatively low cost. 13 claims.

• Assignee: The Boeing Company
• Patent Number(s): US 4152535
• OSTI ID: 5861932
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140501* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Photovoltaic Conversion
CRYSTALS
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELECTRIC CONTACTS
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
ELECTRODES
EQUIPMENT
FABRICATION
FILMS
GLASS
JUNCTIONS
LAYERS
MONOCRYSTALS
P-N JUNCTIONS
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
POLYCRYSTALS
PRODUCTION
RECRYSTALLIZATION
SEMICONDUCTOR JUNCTIONS
SILICON SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR CELLS
SUBSTRATES