FABRICATION OF PHOTOVOLTAIC LASER ENERGY CONVERTER BY MBE

AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH IS PROPOSED FOR FABRICATING SERIES-CONNECTED MULTIPLE VERTICAL P-N JUNCTIONS ON SILICON BY MOLECULAR BEAM EPITAXY (MBE) FOR CONVERTING HIGH INTENSITY (1X10(3)W/CM(2)) LASER TO ELECTRICAL POWER IN SPACE-BASED LASER POWER STATIONS. THIS APPROACH INVOLVES PRECISELY CONTROLING THE EPITAXY OF ALTERNATING LAYERS OF COBALT SILICIDE, P-DOPED SI AND N-DOPED SI FORMING A SINGLE-CRYSTAL A STRUCTURE CONTAINING 500 TO 1000 P-N JUNCTIONS PER CM. CONNECTED IN SERIES SPECIAL E-BEAM ASSISTED HEATED KNUDSEN SOURCES WILL BE USED TO PERFORM THE MULTILAYER EPITAXY TO MINIMIZE THE OCCURENCE OF PINHOLES IN THE SILICIDE LAYERS AND ACHIEVE ABRUPT P-N JUNCTION GROWTH OVER A LONG MBE GROWTH PERIOD. THE COBALT SILICIDE THUS FORMED WILL HAVE AN ULTRA-LOW RESISTANCE OF LESS THAN 1X10(-3) OHM NECESSARY FOR HIGH CONVERSION EFFICIENCY.