Method for producing plate or tape shaped silicon crystal bodies having crystalline pillar-like structures, equivalent to columnar structures, for large surface solar cells

In a method of producing plate- or tape-shaped silicon crystal bodies having crystalline pillar structures therein, which are substantially equivalent to crystalline columnar structures, without melting of the base material which forms such silicon bodies and which bodies are useful for processing into large-surface solar cells, wherein:

• a slurry is formed from an admixture of silicon powder comprised of silicon particles having an average grain size in the range of less than about 1 .mu.m and a compatible liquid binder;
• a relatively thin layer of such slurry is extruded onto a base and dried until it becomes essentially self-supporting with removal of the base;
• and
• such self-supporting slurry layer is sintered on a temperature-stable inert base in a protective gas atmosphere at a sintering temperature below about 1430.degree. C. in such a manner that a layer of monocrystalline silicon particles is generated, which particles have an average diameter substantially corresponding to the thickness of the dried slurry layer, the improvement comprising wherein:
• said sintering occurs in a gas atmosphere comprised of an admixture of argon and hydrogen containing an amount of hydrogen up to a maximum of about 20% by volume.