Patent ID: 8614396

Claim:
A method for processing iron disilicide for manufacture of photovoltaic devices, the method comprising: providing a first sample of an iron disilicide comprising at least an alpha phase entity ranging from about 5% to about 20% of a total phase entity, a beta phase entity comprising about 30% to about 75% of the phase entity, and an epsilon phase entity comprising about 5% to about 20% of the total phase entity; maintaining the first sample of iron disilicide in an inert environment; subjecting the first sample of iron disilicide to a thermal process while maintaining the first sample of iron disilicide in the inert environment to cause formation of a second sample of iron disilicide comprising substantially beta phase iron disilicide, the second iron disilicide being characterized by a first particle size ranging from about 1 micron to about 20 microns; introducing an organic solvent to the second sample to form a first mixture of material comprising the second sample of iron disilicide and the organic solvent; processing the first mixture of material including the second sample of iron disilicide using a grinding process to convert the second sample of iron disilicide having the first particle size to a third sample of iron disilicide having a second particle size ranging from about 1 micron to about 2 microns; removing the organic solvent from the third sample of iron disilicide in the organic solvent; and outputting the third sample of iron disilicide characterized by the second particle size and greater than about 90% of the beta phase entity.