Cast Semicrystalline Silicon for Solar Cells

Abstract

While the cost of photovoltaics has been reduced by a factor of 50 in the past six years, a major barrier for meeting future price goals is the cost of the silicon sheet material used to make solar cells. One potential solution is the casting of silicon into ingots, foregoing the costly processes now required to produce single crystal silicon. The resulting “semicrystalline” silicon is polycrystalline in nature, requires less energy to produce and may use cheaper, less refined silicon as a starting material. Solarex cells with excellent electrical characteristics have been produced from cast silicon, with conversion efficiencies as high as 16 percent. This promises to have a profound impact upon the cost and range of applications for photovoltaics.