Title :
Enabling technologies for making GaAs-based thin-film solar cells on ceramic and polysilicon substrates
Author :
Mauk, M.G. ; Balliet, J. ; Feyock, B.W.
Author_Institution :
AstroPower Inc., Newark, DE, USA
Abstract :
We present results for the first phase of an effort to develop large-grain (>1-mm), highly-oriented, thin (0.5 to 5 micron) films of germanium on substrates of: 1. fused silica (SiO2), 2. sintered alumina (Al2O3) ceramic, or 3. low-cost polysilicon sheet (Silicon-Film™) material. We use a water-vapor mediated, close-spaced vapor transport (CSVT) process to deposit Ge, followed by a recrystallization step. An alternative chemical vapor transport process using iodine vapor is also being developed for low-cost deposition and epitaxy of Ge and GaAs. Ge films with a highly oriented texture and lateral dimensions of grains in excess of 1-mm have been achieved on fused silica, alumina ceramic, and polysilicon substrates. These structures are ultimately intended for use as Ge (coated) surrogate substrates for epitaxial growth of high-performance GaAs/InGaP solar cells.
Keywords :
CVD coatings; III-V semiconductors; alumina; ceramics; gallium arsenide; grain size; semiconductor growth; semiconductor thin films; silicon; silicon compounds; solar cells; substrates; 0.5 to 5 micron; 1 mm; Al2O3; GaAs; GaAs-based thin-film solar cells; GaAs/InGaP solar cells; I2 vapor; Si; SiO2; ceramic substrates; chemical vapor transport process; enabling technologies; epitaxy; fused silica; grains size; low-cost deposition; polysilicon substrates; recrystallization; sintered alumina; water-vapor mediated close-spaced vapor transport process; Ceramics; Chemical processes; Epitaxial growth; Gallium arsenide; Germanium; Photovoltaic cells; Sheet materials; Silicon compounds; Substrates; Transistors;
Conference_Titel :
Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, 2002. Conference Record of the Twenty-Ninth IEEE
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-7471-1
DOI :
10.1109/PVSC.2002.1190789
