Abstract: The present invention provides an improved method for manufacturing highly efficient and especially thin polycrystalline silicon thin-film solar cells. More particularly, the present invention provides a silicon nucleation layer produced on amorphous substrates with a nucleation layer being selectively etched until uniformly <111> orientated nuclei remain. A silicon thin-film grown thereover is coarse-crystalline, has grain boundaries residing perpendicular to the substrate and has a pyramid structure as a consequence of the uniform orientation. High photocurrents can already be achieved with solar cells manufactured therefrom beginning with a layer thickness of 10 .mu.m.

Abstract: A method for producing polycrystalline layers having granular crystalline structure is provided. Pursuant to the method, a thin intermediate layer of amorphous is deposited before the deposition of the polycrystalline layer in order to avoid crystal structure influence proceeding from the substrate. The layer is then recrystallized applying a pattern of crystallization points or the amorphous layer. A detrimental effect of the fine-crystalline structure of the substrate is prevented by the amorphous intermediate layer. Pursuant to the present invention, the thin-film technology can also be utilized for polycrystalline silicon layers, this being especially desirable in the manufacture of solar cells.

Abstract: A method is provided for the series-interconnection of a plurality of thick-film solar cells. Separating grooves in the thick-film semiconductor layer necessary for forming conductive connections between the cells are produced through a lift-off technique. The stripe pattern needed for the lift-off technique is applied onto a substrate having structured base electrodes. The stripe pattern is applied thereto as a paste in a silk-screening method before the surface-wide deposition of the thick-film semiconductor and is removed before the deposition of the cover electrode layer. Involved mechanical parting methods are avoided through the method of the present invention.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for improving the dangling-bond saturation in amorphous silicon-germanium semiconductor layers. The deposition from the vapor phase of germane, silane, and hydrogen proceeds on the basis of different plasma excitations in the same reactor, that are spatially separated. Capacitive and inductively coupled plasmas are generated at different locations, in such a manner that the two plasmas superimpose in a central substrate region. For increasing the ionization density, the inductively excited plasma has a dc magnetic field for resonance excitation superimposed on it perpendicular to the radio frequency magnetic field. Amorphous silicon-germanium layers containing hydrogen are produced that have a low density of states and are particularly suitable for thin-film tandem solar cells.

Abstract: In order to avoid unwanted degradation in no-load operation of solar cell modules composed, in particular, of amorphous silicon, an internal load resistor is integrated in the module and is connected across the output terminals during no-load operation of the module. Disconnection of the resistor during load operation occurs either in a mechanical manner by way of a mechanical switch integrated in a plug extending to the load or occurs automatically by way of an electronic switch. The arrangement is employed in operation of solar cell modules for systems having a non-continuous power consumption such as, for example, appliances in mobile homes, mountain chalets and the like.

Abstract: A storage material for hydrogen comprised of amorphous silicon containing phosphorous, in addition to hydrogen (a-Si:H:P). In certain embodiments, such storage material is produced via a glow discharge plasma from a reactive gas mixture in accordance with a fluidized bed method or by quenching a phosphorous-doped silicon melt at a relatively high cooling rate. By admixing phosphorous with silicon, the absorption capacity of the resultant phosphorous-doped silicon material for hydrogen can be increased by a factor of 2 with the same production temperatures (200.degree. C.). The storage material is useful in energy storage tanks (cheap and easily mass-produced).

Abstract: Semiconductor bodies comprised of amorphous silicon are produced by sequentially depositing a plurality of amorphous silicon layers on a heat-resistant substrate by glow discharge in a silicon halide atmosphere at low pressures and low substrate temperatures, with each layer being hydrogenated with atomic hydrogen before deposition of the next subsequent layer. The semiconductor bodies thus produced are useful as basic or raw materials for fabricating solar cells.

Abstract: Monocrystalline substrates of gadolinium yttrium penta-ultraphosphate are coated with an epitaxial layer of neodymium yttrium penta-ultraphosphate to produce a wave guiding, laser active, solid state devices. The preparation procedure involves heating a solution of neodymium oxide and yttrium oxide in phosphoric acid to about 500.degree. C. with holding points being interposed at about 180.degree. C. and at about 370.degree. C. After the solution has been held at 500.degree. C. for about 12 through 15 hours, a preformed substrate monocrystal of gadolinium yttrium penta-ultraphosphate is introduced thereinto and a layer of monocrystalline neodymium yttrium penta-ultraphosphate is grown thereon.

Abstract: An optical control device suitable for utilization in an integrated optical system. The control device employs a monocrystalline substrate and a thin monocrystalline layer mounted thereon.