Silicon, Amorphous

Name:
Silicon, Amorphous
Detailed information:
A noncrystalline allotrope of silicon that exists in the form of a dark-brown powder. It is made from silane (SiH₄) plus doping agents in a glow-discharge tube at low pressure. A film only a few microns in thickness is deposited on a glass or metal substrate. The amorphous product contains about 20% hydrogen. It has been found superior to crystalline silicon in the manufacture of solar cells.