Silicon carbide barrier layer on ceramic substrates for crystalline silicon thin-film modules with an integrated series connection

We report on the deposition of SiC-layers in a newly constructed high-temperature chemical vapor deposition system. With this system SiC-layers are deposited onto tape-casted SiC-ceramic substrates (10/spl times/10 cm/sup 2/) at deposition temperatures ranging from 1200 to 1450/spl deg/C to study the chemical stability, the smoothness, and the electrical resistivity of the SiC-layers. The SiC-layers have a resistivity of 1.6/spl times/10/sup 8/ /spl Omega/cm when boron doping is used to compensate unintended doping. This layer resistivity is sufficiently high to fabricate an integrated series connection on a conductive ceramic substrate.