skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Efficiency of silicon solar cells containing chromium

Abstract

Efficiency of silicon solar cells containing about 10.sup.15 atoms/cm.sup.3 of chromium is improved about 26% by thermal annealing of the silicon wafer at a temperature of 200.degree. C. to form chromium precipitates having a diameter of less than 1 Angstrom. Further improvement in efficiency is achieved by scribing laser lines onto the back surface of the wafer at a spacing of at least 0.5 mm and at a depth of less than 13 micrometers to preferentially precipitate chromium near the back surface and away from the junction region of the device. This provides an economical way to improve the deleterious effects of chromium, one of the impurities present in metallurgical grade silicon material.

Inventors:
 [1]
  1. New Port Beach, CA
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
California Institute of Technology (CalTech), Pasadena, CA (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
864107
Patent Number(s):
US 4311870
Assignee:
Frosch, Robert A. Administrator of National Aeronautics and Space (New Port Beach, CA);Salama, Amal M. (New Port Beach, CA)
DOE Contract Number:  
NAS7-100
Resource Type:
Patent
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
efficiency; silicon; solar; cells; containing; chromium; 10; 15; atoms; cm; improved; 26; thermal; annealing; wafer; temperature; 200; degree; form; precipitates; diameter; angstrom; improvement; achieved; scribing; laser; lines; surface; spacing; depth; 13; micrometers; preferentially; precipitate; near; junction; region; device; provides; economical; improve; deleterious; effects; impurities; metallurgical; grade; material; silicon material; thermal annealing; solar cell; solar cells; silicon solar; silicon wafer; cells containing; deleterious effects; grade silicon; containing chromium; deleterious effect; cells contain; junction region; laser lines; /136/219/257/438/

Citation Formats

Frosch, Robert A. Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space, and Salama, Amal M. Efficiency of silicon solar cells containing chromium. United States: N. p., 1982. Web.
Frosch, Robert A. Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space, & Salama, Amal M. Efficiency of silicon solar cells containing chromium. United States.
Frosch, Robert A. Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space, and Salama, Amal M. 1982. "Efficiency of silicon solar cells containing chromium". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/864107.
@article{osti_864107,
title = {Efficiency of silicon solar cells containing chromium},
author = {Frosch, Robert A. Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space and Salama, Amal M},
abstractNote = {Efficiency of silicon solar cells containing about 10.sup.15 atoms/cm.sup.3 of chromium is improved about 26% by thermal annealing of the silicon wafer at a temperature of 200.degree. C. to form chromium precipitates having a diameter of less than 1 Angstrom. Further improvement in efficiency is achieved by scribing laser lines onto the back surface of the wafer at a spacing of at least 0.5 mm and at a depth of less than 13 micrometers to preferentially precipitate chromium near the back surface and away from the junction region of the device. This provides an economical way to improve the deleterious effects of chromium, one of the impurities present in metallurgical grade silicon material.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/864107}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1982},
month = {Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1982}
}