P-N JUNCTION FORMATION BY ION BOMBARDMENT
Abstract
The feasibility of producing silicon solar cells by ion bombardment, with a goal of 15% efficiency in the conversion of solar to electrical energy was investigated. The effects of ion energy and bombardment at various temperatures were studied for hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, neon, xenon and phosphorus. A two million volt Van de Graaff accelerator and a 250 kv Cockroft Walton accelerator were used to produce ions with energies ranging from 50 kev to 1 Mev. Bombardments with each of the gaseous ions have produced type conversion in p-type silicon. The n-type layers produced all have rather high resistivities (1 ohm-cm or higher) with very weak n-type conductivity characteristics. These junctions were produced by radiation damage induced donor sites and might more appropriately be called p-i junctions. Only the phosphorus ion bombardments show evidence of impurity or chemical doping effects. The radiation damage is so great, however, that it dominates the cells' characteristics and the best solar conversion efficiencies observed have been in the order of 0.01%. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 1962
- Accession Number
- AD0278150
Entities
People
- R.r. Ferber
Organizations
- Westinghouse Electric Corporation