Czochralski, Jan
Published: September 24, 2008, 4:29 pm
Updated: September 24, 2008, 4:29 pm
This article has been reviewed by the following Topic Editor:
Tom Lawrence
Jan Czochralski.
Jan Czochralski (1885-1953), a Polish chemical engineer who made seminal contributions to the commercialization of photovoltaic cells. In 1916, Czochralski developed a technique to obtain single crystals of a semiconductor from methods used originally to measure crystallization rates of metals. It is said that he discovered this serendipitously after accidentally dipping his quill into a tub of molten metal instead of an inkpot. This method, now known as the Czochralski method, was not widely used until after World War II, when the demand for semiconductor electronic materials increased. In 1954, Bell Laboratories produced the first photovoltaic cell using the Czochralski method. The process requires placing a single rotating crystal silicon seed onto a rod, which is then immersed in molten silicon. Slowly extracting the silicon seed from the silicon bath produces a monocrystalline silicon cylindrical ingot with practically no defects and good conversion efficiency. The Czochralski method remains expensive, forcing many manufacturers of photovoltaic cells to produce multicrystalline ingots, which have lower conversion efficiencies. Czochralski also made the first published attempt to develop a microscopic theory of recrystalization.
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Citation
Cutler J. Cleveland (Lead Author);Tom Lawrence (Topic Editor) "Czochralski, Jan". In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [First published in the Encyclopedia of Earth September 24, 2008; Last revised Date September 24, 2008; Retrieved May 25, 2013 <http://www.eoearth.org/article/Czochralski,_Jan>
The Author
Cutler J. Cleveland is Professor of Earth and Environment at Boston University, where he also is on the faculty of the Center for Energy and Environmental Studies. Professor Cleveland is Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of Energy (Elsevier, 2004), winner of an American Library Association award, the Dictionary of Energy (Elsevier, 2005), Handbook of Energy (Elsevier, forthcoming), and is the Founding Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of Earth. He is the recipient of the Adelma ... (Full Bio)
Jan Czochralski.
Jan Czochralski (1885-1953), a Polish chemical engineer who made seminal contributions to the commercialization of photovoltaic cells. In 1916, Czochralski developed a technique to obtain single crystals of a semiconductor from methods used originally to measure crystallization rates of metals. It is said that he discovered this serendipitously after accidentally dipping his quill into a tub of molten metal instead of an inkpot. This method, now known as the Czochralski method, was not widely used until after World War II, when the demand for semiconductor electronic materials increased. In 1954, Bell Laboratories produced the first photovoltaic cell using the Czochralski method. The process requires placing a single rotating crystal silicon seed onto a rod, which is then immersed in molten silicon. Slowly extracting the silicon seed from the silicon bath produces a monocrystalline silicon cylindrical ingot with practically no defects and good conversion efficiency. The Czochralski method remains expensive, forcing many manufacturers of photovoltaic cells to produce multicrystalline ingots, which have lower conversion efficiencies. Czochralski also made the first published attempt to develop a microscopic theory of recrystalization.
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