High-throughput continuous CVD reactor for silicon deposition

A prototype of a high-throughput APCVD reactor for silicon deposition has been designed and built where two parallel rows of substrates are continuously fed in and out through gas curtains. Such a reactor can fulfil the hard economic requirements for the production of crystalline silicon thin-film solar cells. Special attention has been directed to a save and reliable operation of the gas curtain system. First deposition experiments on mc-Si substrates revealed epitaxial layers of high crystal quality and homogeneity, deposition rates >3 µm/min and a conversion efficiency Si (gas) -> Si (solid) up to 30%.