Modeling contributions in commercialization of silicon ribbon growth from the melt

Three decades of development of the: edge-defined film-fed growth (EFG) technique for ribbon and closed shape silicon crystals have culminated in large-scale commercialization of EFG technology for production of wafers for photovoltaic applications. We review here models for growth stability, stress generation, and heat and mass transfer phenomena which have contributed to the understanding of process fundamentals. and have helped guide EFG technology to its present commercial viability. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.