Silicon thin-film, integrated solar cell, module, and methods of manufacturing the same

A method of making an electronic device, comprising the steps of:

• forming a layer of polycrystalline silicon on a substrate using a thin-film deposition technique;
• subjecting the layer of polycrystalline silicon to a treatment to form silicon crystals having an aspect ratio, d/t, of more than 1:1, d being the grain diameter and t being the grain thickness;
• and
• forming electrodes in electrical communication with the layer of polycrystalline silicon.

A method of making a solar cell, comprising the steps of:

• forming a first ohmic contact on an electrically insulating substrate;
• forming a second ohmic contact on the substrate spaced from the first ohmic contact;
• forming a layer of polycrystalline silicon in electronic communication with the first and second ohmic contacts using a thin-film deposition technique, the layer of polycrystalline silicon including a p-n junction;
• and
• subjecting the layer of polycrystalline silicon to a treatment to form silicon crystals having an aspect ratio, d/t, of more than 1:1, d being the grain diameter and t being the grain thickness.