Advanced automation techniques for interconnecting thin silicon solar cells

Author

Nowlan, M.J. ; Hogan, S.J. ; Darkazalli, G. ; Sutherland, S.F. ; Breen, W.F. ; Murach, J.M. ; Patterson, J.S.

Author_Institution

Spire Corp., Bedford, MA, USA

Volume

1

fYear

1994

fDate

5-9 Dec 1994

Firstpage

828

Abstract

The objective of this work is to reduce the cost and improve the quality of terrestrial photovoltaic modules by developing automated high-throughput (5 MW/yr) processes for interconnecting thin silicon solar cells. New low-stress, high-throughput processes have been developed for cell loading, alignment, and inspection, interconnect ribbon handling, flux application, ribbon-to-cell soldering, cell string handling, and I-V testing of assembled cell strings. Both standard thickness (350 μm) and thin (200 μm) cells have been used to evaluate and refine these processes

Keywords

elemental semiconductors; inspection; process control; semiconductor device manufacture; semiconductor device testing; silicon; solar cell arrays; solar cells; soldering; 200 mum; 350 mum; I-V testing; Si; alignment; automated high-throughput processes; flux application; inspection; interconnect ribbon handling; loading; manufacture; ribbon-to-cell soldering; solar cell interconnection; string handling; terrestrial photovoltaic modules; Assembly; Automation; Costs; Inspection; Photovoltaic cells; Photovoltaic systems; Silicon; Solar power generation; Soldering; Testing;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, 1994., Conference Record of the Twenty Fourth. IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference - 1994, 1994 IEEE First World Conference on

Conference_Location

Waikoloa, HI

Print_ISBN

0-7803-1460-3

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/WCPEC.1994.520088

Filename

520088