A process and apparatus is disclosed for growing a crystal ribbon (42) of a substance of theoretically infinite length from a melt (32) of the substance. A pair of fixedly positioned edge defining members (44) are partially submerged into the melt (32) so as to break the surface (34) of the melt (32) at a predetermined distance from one another. The edge defining members (44) are wettable by the melt and the predetermined distance substantially corresponds to the width of the crystal ribbon (42) to be grown. The crystal ribbon (42) is grown by contacting the surface (34) of the melt (32) with a seed ribbon (38) between the edge defining members (44) whereby a meniscus (48) of the melt (32) is established on the seed ribbon (38). The meniscus (48) is stabilized by the meniscus (50) of the melt (32) on the edge defining members (44). Pulling the seed crystal ribbon (38) away from the melt (32) results in continuous growth of the crystal ribbon (42).

According to this invention a process for forming a crystal of a substance comprises securing surfaces of two crystals (1) together with the axes of the crystals aligned and depositing said substance onto the joined crystals thereby causing them to grow into a single crystal substantially or entirely surrounding the registering regions (2) of said surfaces. A resultant crystal may be sectioned to provide large, single crystals (3) not containing a bonded region.

A method and apparatus for drawing a monocrystalline ribbon or web from a melt comprising utilizing a shaping die including at least two elements spaced one from the other each having a portion thereof located below the level of the melt and another portion located above the level of the melt a distance sufficient to form a raised meniscus of melt about the corresponding element.

Disclosed herein is an optically active single crystal, which has both levo-rotatory portion and dextro-rotatory portion and is even in optical rotatory power and physical constants such as electrooptic constant and Farady constant. Its fabrication process is also disclosed, wherein a single crystal is grown in accordance with the crystal pulling method making use of a seed crystal comprising a levo-rotatory single crystal and a dextro-rotatory single crystal, which are joined to each other. The process permits fabrication of the above-mentioned optically active single crystal in a short period of time and with ease.

A solar cell assembly with current limiting protection comprises a rectangular planar solar cell having four corner locations including first and second opposed surfaces and a beveled edge at one of the corner locations. Parallel spaced longitudinally extending conductors are provided on a first opposed surface and a metallic coating overlies an entire second opposed surface. Interconnect members mount a protective bypass diode, electrically intermediate and in series with the first and second conductor members, on the solar cell in a mutually coplanar relationship proximate to but spaced from the beveled edge, accommodating relative in-plane motion between the bypass diode and the solar cell. The interconnect members include an upper interconnect member extending between and fixed, respectively, to a first metallic pad member on the first opposed surface adjacent the beveled edge and electrically connected to the bus member and to a first surface of the bypass diode and a lower interconnect member extending between and fixed, respectively, to a second metallic pad member mounted adjacent the beveled edge and electrically connected to the metallic coating and to a second surface of the bypass diode. A protective glass sheet overlies and is bonded to the first opposed surface of the solar cell and the bypass diode in a generally coextensive relationship. A supplemental reinforcement sheet member may overlie a portion of the second opposed surface of the solar cell and the bypass diode and be bonded thereto in a generally coextensive relationship.