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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Phase 2 of the automated array assembly task of the low-cost silicon solar array project. Final report, 1 April 1979-31 March 1980

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6774359· OSTI ID:6774359
Several specific processing steps, as part of a total process sequence for manufacturing silicon solar cells, were studied during this contract. Ion implantation has been identified as the Motorola preferred process step for impurity doping. Unanalyzed beam ion implantation has been shown to have major cost advantages over analyzed beam implantation. Further, high quality cells have been fabricated using a high current unanalyzed beam. Mechanically masked plasma patterning of silicon nitride has been shown to be capable of forming fine lines on silicon surfaces with spacings between mask and substrate as great as 250 ..mu..m (10 mils). Extensive work was performed on advances in plated metallization. The need for the thick electroless palladium layer has been eliminated. Further, copper has been successfully utilized as a conductor layer, utilizing nickel as a barrier to copper diffusion into the silicon. Plasma etching of silicon for texturing and saw damage removal has been shown technically feasible, but not cost-effective compared to wet chemical etching techniques.
Research Organization:
Motorola, Inc., Phoenix, AZ (USA). Semiconductor Group
DOE Contract Number:
NAS-7-100-954847
OSTI ID:
6774359
Report Number(s):
DOE/JPL/954847-80/8
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English