Heat exchanger method, ingot casting; fixed abrasive method, multi-wire slicing: Phase II. Silicon sheet growth development for the Large-Area Silicon Sheet Task of the Low-Cost Silicon Solar Array Project. Quarterly progress report No. 2, January 1, 1978--March 31, 1978

Technical Report · Fri Apr 07 04:00:00 EST 1978

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6772814· OSTI ID:6772814

Schmid, F; Khattak, C P

A crack-free silicon ingot has been cast in a graded, semiconductor purity silica crucible. More than 90% single crystallinity has been achieved in 2.5 kg cast ingots. The impurities on the surface of the melt have been reduced with the use of a rapid heat-up cycle and absence of graphite retainers. Solar cells fabricated out of HEM cast material have shown conversion efficiency up to 14% under AM1 Xenon source illumination. Considerable progress has been achieved in casting square cross-section ingots. The growth in the corners has been obtained but the problem area is in fabricating a custom-made graded crucible. Kerf loss was reduced to 6.2 mil, 0.155 mm in slicing 4 cm x 4 cm cross-section with 100% yield. The abrasive life of plated impregnated blades was increased by hardening the electroless nickel layer. In an effort to prevent diamond pull-out and thereby improve the abrasive life, the plated layer was increased from 0.3 mil, 7.5 ..mu..m to 0.5 mil, 12.5 ..mu..m. The extra thickness buried the diamonds. A thinner copper sheath for impregnation and a thicker nickel coating to prevent diamond pull-out is expected to improve the abrasive life. Higher feed forces increased the cutting rates but resulted in deeper surface damage.

• Research Organization: Crystal Systems, Inc., Salem, Mass. (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: NAS-7-100-954373
• OSTI ID: 6772814
• Report Number(s): DOE/JPL/954373-6
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140501* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Photovoltaic Conversion
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360601 -- Other Materials-- Preparation & Manufacture
ABRASIVES
CASTING
CRUCIBLES
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
CRYSTALS
CUTTING
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
EFFICIENCY
ELEMENTS
FABRICATION
HEAT EXCHANGERS
IMPURITIES
MACHINING
MONOCRYSTALS
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
SEMIMETALS
SILICON
SILICON SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR CELLS