Abstract: A process for the preparation of high purity silane, suitable for forming thin layer silicon structures in various semiconductor devices and high purity poly- and single crystal silicon for a variety of applications, is provided. Synthesis of high-purity silane starts with a temperature assisted reaction of metallurgical silicon with alcohol in the presence of a catalyst. Alcoxysilanes formed in the silicon-alcohol reaction are separated from other products and purified. Simultaneous reduction and oxidation of alcoxysilanes produces gaseous silane and liquid secondary products, including, active part of a catalyst, tetra-alcoxysilanes, and impurity compounds having silicon-hydrogen bonds. Silane is purified by an impurity adsorption technique. Unreacted alcohol is extracted and returned to the reaction with silicon. Concentrated mixture of alcoxysilanes undergoes simultaneous oxidation and reduction in the presence of a catalyst at the temperature -20.degree. C. to +40.degree. C. during 1 to 50 hours.

Abstract: A solar concentrator comprises a prism having radiation input, reflection and output faces. Located on the input and/or reflection face(s) is a layer of material with a formed three-dimensional hologram of transmitting type in the case of the input face or of reflecting type in the case of the reflection face. The structure of the hologram permits radiation input to the prism at an angle greater than the critical angle of total internal reflection to be reflected within the prism without being diffracted by the hologram.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a solar concentrator employing a prism having a radiation input face, a reflection face and at least one radiation output face. The method comprises the steps of providing the prism with its reflection face angularly disposed with respect to the input face. A layer of light-sensitive material is deposited on the input face of the prism. An auxiliary prism and a substance having a refractive index close to that of the light-sensitive material is provided with the substance placed between the light-sensitive material and the auxiliary prism. Next, an interference pattern is recorded in the light-sensitive layer to obtain a three dimensional hologram. This is accomplished by using a reference laser beam and an object laser beam. The reference laser beam is sent to the light-sensitive layer via the auxiliary prism and the substance in the direction of propagation of the incident radiation to be concentrated.

Abstract: A light radiation concentrator comprises a frame and at least two radiation concentrating facets secured therein, the facets being made in the form of holograms. The structure of the diffraction gratings of the holograms is such that the concentrating facets have a common focal spot.A method of making a light radiation concentrator consists in using light-sensitive objects, the number of which is equal to the number of the concentrating facets. The light-sensitive objects are secured in the concentrator frame and an interference pattern produced by a collimated reference radiation beam and an object radiation beam diverging from the focal spot is recorded in a sequence on each of the light-sensitive objects. The recording is effected by causing the collimated reference beam to move in parallel with itself and by directing the object beam from the focal spot to the respective light-sensitive object.

Abstract: A solar photoelectric module comprises a composite parabolic solar energy concentrator having an aperture angle .alpha. and contrived in the form of a sealed gas-filled bulb. The side walls of the bulb bend on a predetermined radius to a cylindrical part thereof beside a concentrator radiation outlet surface which is coated with an inside reflecting coating. A photoreceiver having a cooling system is arranged inside the cylindrical portion of the bulb with a gap separating it from the walls. The cooling system disposed inside the concentrator bulb comprises a metal heat sink with air cooling ribs. The invention prolongs the service life of the module, improves its dependability and efficiency, and reduces its cost.

Abstract: A photoelectric solar cell device comprises a dispersing element exposed to the sun's radiation and followed in the optical path by photocells having different spectral sensitivities. Each photocell has its working surface so oriented that the light beam with the wavelength corresponding to the maximum spectral sensitivity of that photocell impinges on its working surface. The dispersing element is a hologram representing light sources with different wavelengths. The photocells are positioned in the image planes of the light sources producing the light beams of the corresponding wavelengths.

Abstract: The hereinproposed solar power unit comprises a solar energy collector made up of mirror facets and a solar energy receiver. A sun-light-sensitive surface of the receiver is exposed to a radiation flux reflected by the collector. Each facet of the collector is hermetically enclosed in a radiation-transparent convex shell filled with a reducing agent. The shells have a radius of curvature of 20 to 200 mm.

Abstract: A solar photoelectric conversion apparatus comprises a light converter immersed in a transparent liquid heat carrier which occupies the lower part of the cavity of a hollow hermetically sealed reservoir. The apparatus also includes a solar radiation concentrator inserted in a beam of a solar radiation incident on an active surface of the light converter.During operation of the apparatus, vapors of the heat carrier condense on the inner walls of the reservoir and return by gravity to the liquid in the lower portion of the cavity, thereby cooling the liquid and the light converter immersed therein by "thermal siphon" action.

Abstract: A semiconductor photovoltaic generator is proposed which comprises a plurality of photovoltaic converters interconnected in series along their opposite surfaces by current-collecting contacts to form a monolithic structure. Every photovoltaic converter is provided with a p-n junction between the base and inverse regions. The photo-active face of the generator is made as a staircase-type structure. The area of every step is inversely proportional to the intensity of incident radiation and the width of the step is about equal to, or smaller than, the diffusion distance of minority carriers in the base region.

Abstract: The semiconductor photovoltaic generator comprises one or several photovoltaic converters, each of which is provided with a rectifying barrier, which separates its base region from the inversion region, and with at least two current collector contacts, one of which being connected to the base region and the other being connected to the inversion region. The operating surface of the semiconductor photovoltaic generator is covered with a protection layer which receives the direct incident radiation and passes the photoactive part of the spectrum thereof to the operating surface of the semiconductor photovoltaic generator. The protection layer comprises elements transparent to the photoactive part of the incident radiation and intermediate metal layers to protect the photovoltaic converter material from the radiation effects which are liable to damage the semiconductor and lower the performance of the semiconductor photovoltaic generator.

Abstract: A solar photoelectric module is disclosed, wherein the solar energy concentrator also performs the function of a cooling means for the photovoltaic solar energy converter. With that object in view the concentrator is made as a hollow hermetically sealed vessel filled with a transparent heat transfer agent, while the photovoltaic solar energy converter is placed inside the hollow vessel.

Abstract: A semiconductor photoelectric generator, for converting radiation energy from a source, for example, the sun, into electric energy, comprises a matrix of photo electric converters made of a semiconductor material. Each photoelectric converter is doped to form a P-N junction and an isotype junction. Current-collecting conductors are connected to a base region and to an alloy region. An operating surface of the semiconductor photoelectric generator is secured by a translucent adhesive layer to a coating exposed directly to radiation from a radiation source. The coating is composed of optical concentrators which focus the radiation energy in a focal spot and are disposed on the operating surface so that the absorption band of the focussed radiation in the focal spot is located in the base region and is spaced from the P-N junction by a distance not exceeding the diffusion length of the minority carriers in the base region.