Silicon Materials Task Of The Low Cost Solar Array Project Phase Iii Effects Of Impurities And Processing On Silicon Solar Cells Phase Iii Summary And Seventeenth Quarterly Report Volume 2

The object of this phase of the program has been to investigate the effects of various processes, metal contaminants and contaminant-process interactions on the properties of silicon and on the performance of terrestrial silicon solar cells. The study encompassed topics including thermochemical (gettering) treatments, base doping concentration, base doping type (n vs. p), grain boundary-impurity interaction, non-uniformity of impurity distribution, long term effects of impurities, as well as synergic and complexing phenomena. The program approach consists in: (1) the growth of doubly and multiply-doped silicon single crystals containing a baseline boron or phosphorus dopant and specific impurities which produce deep levels in the forbidden band gap; (2) assessment of these crystals by chemical, microstructural, electrical and solar cell tests; (3) correlation of the impurity type and concentration with crystal quality and device performance; and (4) delineation of the role of impurities and processing on subsequent silicon solar cell performance. The overall results reported are based on the assessment of nearly 200 silicon ingots. (WHK).