Shin-etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.

Tadashi Kamioka

Susumu Sakaguchi

Toru Yamada

Teruhiko Hirasawa

Tsuguo Fukuda

Proposed is a low-cost method for the preparation of a wire-formed crystal of silicon having a diameter of 1 mm or smaller, in which a vertically held starting rod of silicon is melted at one end portion by high-frequency induction heating, a seed crystal is brought into contact with the molten portion and then the seed crystal and the starting silicon rod are pulled apart in the vertical direction at a controlled velocity with a controlled high-frequency power input so that the melt of silicon drawn by the seed crystal is solidified and crystallized into the form of a wire.

Method for the preparation of wire-formed silicon crystal

A novel structure of a silicon solar cell is disclosed, which can be prepared at an outstandingly low cost but can still exhibit good efficiency for the conversion of solar energy to electricity. The silicon solar cell comprises, as an integral body:

Growing community of inventors

Kanagawa, Japan

Tadashi Kamioka