Method and means for manufacturing mono-crystalline silicon in tape form

In a process for manufacturing monocrystalline silicon in tape form in which recourse is had to a bar of polycrystalline silicon in the form of a cylinder of revolution, the improvement comprising:

• forming at the surface of said cylinder and along a generatrix of the same, under vacuum or under neutral gas, a fused zone having a width of about 1 to about 5 mm and a depth of about 1 to about 3 mm,
• contacting the edge of an oriented monocrystalline silicon plate arranged parallel to the axis of the cylinder and forming an angle .alpha. of about 30.degree. to 45.degree. with the plane tangential to the cylinder, at the level of the fused zone, with the fused zone to enable the constituent silicon of the plate to melt,
• withdrawing the plate from the cylinder by moving it in its plane, the plate then drawing a film of fused silicon, the speed of withdrawal or "speed of drawing" being selected so that the thinning of the film before crystallization corresponds to the desired thickness of the monocrystal to be manufactured,
• and,
• imparting to the cylinder of polycrystalline silicon a movement of revolution of sufficient speed to maintain a constant supply of liquid in the fused zone along the generatrix.