Process for producing large-size, self-supporting plates of silicon

US4131659A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Wacker-Chemitronic Gesellschaft fur Elektronik Grundstoffe mbH · DE

Inventors

• Bernhard Authier · Burghausen, DE
• Rudolf Griesshammer · Altötting, DE
• Franz Koppl · Altötting, DE
• Winfried Lang · Burghausen, DE
• Erhard Sirtl · Marktl, DE
• Heinz-Jorg Rath · Burghausen, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 19, 1976
• Grant date: Dec 26, 1978
• Expiry date: Nov 19, 1996

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10S438/907
• WIPO field: Surface technology, coating
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

Process for producing large-size, self-supporting plates of silicon deposd from the gaseous phase on a substrate body, which comprises heating a graphite substrate to deposition temperature of silicon, which is deposited on the substrate from a gaseous compound to which a dopant has been added until a layer of about 200 to 650 .mu.m has formed, subsequently melting 40-100% of this layer from the free surface downward, resolidifying the molten silicon by adjustment of a temperature gradient from the substrate body upward, and finally separating the silicon therefrom. The plates so formed are used primarily for making solar cells.