Substrates for silicon solar cells and methods of producing the same
AssigneeSRI International
InventorANGEL SANJURJO
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Abstract
Aspects of the invention include methods for depositing silicon on a substrate. In certain embodiments, the methods include exposing a substrate containing silicon to a halogenated silane in a manner sufficient to deposit the silicon on the substrate. In certain embodiments, the method includes providing a substrate, one or more sources of gas, and a reaction vessel that is in fluid communication with the substrate and the one or more sources of gas. In certain embodiments, the substrate is a low or metallurgical grade silicon which may be subjected to a purification process. In certain embodiments, the reaction vessel is a particle bed reaction vessel that includes a moving bed, such as a fluidized bed which contains silicon and the gas includes a halide.
Claims52
A method for depositing silicon (Si) on a surface of a substrate, comprising:
- (a) providing a substrate wherein the substrate comprises a metallurgical grade silicon on which silicon (Si) is to be deposited;
- (b) purifying a surface of the substrate;
- (c) providing one or more sources of gas, wherein at least one source of gas comprises a halide-containing gas;
- (d) providing a reaction vessel comprising a silicon containing reaction bed, wherein said silicon containing reaction bed is between the substrate and the one or more sources of gas;
- and
- (e) directing a gas from the one or more sources of gas into the silicon containing reaction bed at a temperature effective to release silicon in a form of a halogenated silane from the silicon containing reaction bed toward the substrate for deposition thereon.
A method for depositing silicon (Si) on a surface of a substrate, comprising:
- (a) providing the substrate wherein the substrate comprises a metallurgical grade silicon on which silicon is to be deposited;
- (b) purifying a surface of the substrate so as to produce a substantially purified surface;
- (c) providing one or more sources of gas, wherein at least one source of gas comprises a silane containing gas;
- (d) directing the silane containing gas from the at least one source of gas onto the purified surface of the substrate at a temperature effective for deposition of silicon thereon.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.