Apparatus for melt growth of crystalline semiconductor sheets

Patent · Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:865877

Ciszek, Theodore F ^[1]; Hurd, Jeffery L ^[2]

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1. Evergreen, CO
2. Golden, CO

An economical method is presented for forming thin sheets of crystalline silicon suitable for use in a photovoltaic conversion cell by solidification from the liquid phase. Two spatially separated, generally coplanar filaments wettable by liquid silicon and joined together at the end by a bridge member are immersed in a silicon melt and then slowly withdrawn from the melt so that a silicon crystal is grown between the edge of the bridge and the filaments.

• Research Organization: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: EG-77-C-01-4042
• Assignee: Sachs, Emanuel M. (Cambridge, MA)
• Patent Number(s): US 4594229
• OSTI ID: 865877
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

apparatus
melt
growth
crystalline
semiconductor
sheets
economical
method
forming
silicon
suitable
photovoltaic
conversion
cell
solidification
liquid
phase
spatially
separated
coplanar
filaments
wettable
joined
bridge
immersed
slowly
withdrawn
crystal
grown
edge
silicon crystal
liquid phase
crystalline silicon
crystalline semiconductor
spatially separated
photovoltaic conversion
silicon melt
spatially separate
conductor sheet
conversion cell
/422/136/