The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 17, 1984
Filed:
Aug. 20, 1981
Juris P Kalejs, Wellesley, MA (US);
Mobil Solar Energy Corporation, Waltham, MA (US);
Abstract
Method and apparatus for using a gas mixture containing an additive gas capable of beneficially altering the physical or chemical properties of a crystallized body grown from a melt by means of a shaping member. A suitable mixture of an inert gas and the additive gas is directed substantially uniformly over the entire melt surface of the meniscus existing between the top of the shaping member and the liquid/solid growth interface at which the crystallized body is formed. The method and apparatus are particularly suited to the growing of silicon ribbons from graphite crucibles for use in the production of photovoltaic solar cells, as evidenced by a substantial increase in the average minority carrier diffusion length in the silicon ribbon grown when the gas additive is a source of oxygen.