Process for producing plate-shaped silicon bodies for solar cells

A process for producing plate-shaped silicon bodies which are useful in the manufacture of solar cells, comprising:

• positioning a vertically orientated polycrystalline silicon rod on a plate having a slot-like aperture therein:
• generating an annular melt zone about a portion of said rod which is in contact with said slot-like aperture:
• controllably biasing said rod against said slot-like aperture so as to force a stream of molten silicon through said slot-like aperture and into a nip defined by spaced-apart rotating temperature controlled rollers positioned below and in registry with said slot-like aperture so that said nip receives the molten silicon stream and forges such stream into flat ribbon of a thickness corresponding to that of the desired plate-shaped bodies said rollers being maintained at a temperature sufficiently high so as to minimize thermal stress in the silicon;
• and
• solidifying said ribbon as it travels beyond said nip.