"ELECTRO-DEPOSITION OF SILICON FILMS FROM LIQUID-METAL SOLUTIONS FOR PHOTOVOLTAIC APPLICATIONS"

ELECTRO-DEPOSITION OF SILICON FILMS FROM LIQUID-METAL SOLUTIONS WILL BE INVESTIGATED. THE OBJECTIVE IS TO DEVELOP A LOW-COST PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF HIGH-EFFICIENCY THIN-FILM PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVICES. SPECIFICALLY, CURRENT-CONTROLLED GROWTH OF A SILICON FILM ON A SUBSTRATE IS ACCOMPLISHED USING A LIQUID-METAL SOLUTION, SUCH AS TIN, AND A SILICON SOURCE ELECTRODE. THE QUALITY OF SILICON GROWN FROM TIN IS GOOD. THE PHASE I WORK FOCUSES ON ELECTRO-EPITAXY OF SILICON FILMS ON MONOCRYSTALLINE AND POLYCRYSTALLINE SILICON SUBSTRATES. IN ADDITION, EPITAXIAL LATERAL OVERGROWTH ON PATTERNED, OXIDE-MASKED SILICON SUBSTRATES WILL BE INVESTIGATED. FEASIBILITY STUDIES FOR ELECTRO-DEPOSITION OF SILICON ON LOW-COST CERAMIC SUBSTRATES WILL ALSO BE INCLUDED. ELCTRO-DEPOSITED SILICON FILMS WILL BE CHARACTERIZED STRUCTURALLY, CHEMICALLY, AND ELECTRICALLY. PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVICES WILL BE FABRICATED TO EVALUATE THE ELECTRO-DEPOSITEDSILICON FILMS.