GROWTH OF POLYCRYSTALLINE SILICON FILMS ON GLASS BY HIGH-TEMPERATURE CHEMICAL-VAPOR-DEPOSITION

Covering glass substrates with polycrystalline Si films for electronic devices such as solar cells still presents a great challenge. In a tw o-step process, we first coat a novel high-temperature resistant glass substrate with a thin film of amorphous Si, which is then solid-phase crystallized at 600 degrees C. In the second step, atmospheric pressu re chemical vapour deposition at 1000 degrees C serves to deposit a se veral micron thick light-absorbing film. The minority carrier diffusio n length in our films correlates with the area weighted grain size det ermined by transmission electron microscopy. We obtain a hole mobility of 68 cm(2) V-1 s(-1) after hydrogen passivation and an electron diff usion length of 2 mu m.