Patent · US Expired

Method of growing silicon crystal in liquid phase and method of producing solar cell

US6429035B2 · kind B2 · utility

16Cited by
5References
8Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 24, 1998
Grant dateAug 6, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 24, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02P70/50
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method of growing single crystal silicon in a liquid phase comprises preparing a melt by dissolving a solid of silicon containing boron, aluminum, phosphorus or arsenic at a predetermined concentration into indium melted in a carbon boat or a quartz crucible, supersaturating the melt, and submerging a substrate into the melt, thereby growing a silicon crystal containing a dopant element. This method can provide a method of growing a thin film of crystalline silicon having a high crystallinity and a dopant concentration favorably controlled, thereby serving for mass production of inexpensive solar cells which have high performance as well as image displays which have high contrast and are free from color ununiformity.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.