The manufacturing of large silicon photovoltaic arrays, suitable for use in solar power satellites, from lunar materials is discussed in detail. The system constraints include: the use of lunar materials only; processes must be compatible with zero-gravity, therefore excluding open liquids; all processes should be based on existing technologies and if possible should be continuous for high throughput, as well as automated and easily maintainable to minimize the need for human presence. Purification of materials is covered as is the growth of single and polycrystalline silicon. Processing steps such as doping, gettering, lithography, deposition of metallic and insulating films as well as wirebonding techniques are covered. The possibility of manufacturing highly efficient point-contact silicon photovoltaics (greater than 27 % efficiency) with the aforementioned processing constraints is covered.


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    Title :

    Fabrication of large photovoltaic arrays in space from lunar materials


    Additional title:

    Fertigung grosser Photoelementanordnungen im Raum aus Werkstoffen vom Mond


    Contributors:

    Published in:

    Space Power ; 7 , 3/4 ; 235-246


    Publication date :

    1987


    Size :

    12 Seiten, 3 Bilder, 4 Tabellen, 55 Quellen


    Type of media :

    Article (Journal)


    Type of material :

    Print


    Language :

    English




    Lunar production of space photovoltaic arrays

    Landis, G.A. | Tema Archive | 1988


    Fabrication methods for construction from lunar materials

    Miller, R. H. / Smith, D. B. S. | NTRS | 1979


    Utilization of lunar materials in space

    Criswell, D. R. / Waldron, R. D. | NTRS | 1978



    Large-Scale Processing of Lunar Materials

    Ehricke, Krafft A. | NTRS | 1976