Abstract: Selectively shaped silicon crystal bodies, such as plate- or tape-shaped bodies, having crystalline pillar-like structures therein are produced by forming a slurry from an admixture of relatively fine sized silicon particles and a liquid binder, extruding such slurry as a relatively thin layer onto a first support member, drying such extruded layer until it becomes self-supporting and removing such support member, and then sintering such dried layer in a protective gas atmosphere at temperatures below about 1430.degree. C. until a layer of crystalline silicon particles are generated or grown having an average diameter substantially corresponding to the thickness of the dried slurry layer.