title: Numerical simulation and fabrication of silicon sheet via spin casting.
abstract: A spin-casting process for fabricating polycrystalline silicon sheets for use as solar cell wafers is proposed, and the parameters that control the sheet thickness are investigated. A numerical study of the fluidity of molten silicon indicates that the formation of thin silicon sheets without a mold and via spin casting is feasible. The faster the rotation speed of graphite mold, the thinner the thickness of sheet. After the spread of the molten silicon to cover the graphite mold with rotation speed of above 500 rpm, the solidification has to start. Silicon sheets can be produced by using the centrifugal force under appropriate experimental conditions. The spin-cast sheet had a vertical columnar microstructure due to the normal heat extraction to the substrate, and the sheet lifetime varied from 0.1 microS to 0.3 microS measured by using the microwave photoconductance decay (MW-PCD) to confirm that the spin-cast silicon sheet is applicable to photovoltaics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 136-713, Korea.
authors.forename: Jaewoo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hyunhui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Changbum
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Joonsoo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Bo-Yun
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Jinseok
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Youngsoo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Wooyoung
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yoon
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D003460:Crystallization / Q000379:methods*; D046911:Macromolecular Substances / Q000737:chemistry; D008422:Materials Testing; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D010316:Particle Size; D012399:Rotation; D012825:Silicon / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D012825:Silicon