Patent Document ID: 4508932
Application ID: 06623056
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. A method of making an amorphous silicon-based solar energy conversion device comprising: placing a substrate to be coated and a source of silicon vapour in an enclosure and establishing a vacuum of a least 1.times.10.sup.-4 Torr in the enclosure, heating the silicon source in the said vacuum to a temperature such as to cause the production of heated silicon vapour within the enclosure, whereby the substrate is exposed in the enclosure under said vacuum to the heated silicon vapour for deposit thereon of a layer of amorphous silicon, applying an electric field between the source and the substrate with the substrate positive with respect to the source, so that the electric field opposes the deposition of positive silicon ions on the substrate to result in a layer of amorphous silicon having improved electrical characteristics as compared to a layer desposited in the absence of an electric field.