PVMaT technology improvements in the EFG high volume PV manufacturing line

Author

Rosenblum, M.D. ; Bathey, B.R. ; Cao, J. ; Gonsiorawski, R. ; Mackintosh, B.H. ; Southimath, S.B. ; Doedderlein, J.M. ; Kalejs, J.P.

Author_Institution

ASE Americas Inc., Billerica, MA, USA

fYear

2002

fDate

19-24 May 2002

Firstpage

58

Lastpage

61

Abstract

We report here on advances made in EFG technology over a 3-year PVMaT 5A2 NREL subcontract. We describe improvements to lower module costs through raising cell efficiencies to 14% and reduction of mechanical and electrical losses. Plasma etching of the laser-cut wafer edges has reduced acid use by >50%. We have introduced 10 cm × 15 cm wafers into manufacturing, and a larger diameter EFG furnace for producing 12.5 × 12.5 cm wafers has been designed and is in pilot testing. Module encapsulation materials and designs have been improved. This work has been accomplished while simultaneously ramping up to 20 MW in wafer production.

Keywords

crystal growth from melt; photovoltaic cells; semiconductor device manufacture; semiconductor growth; solar cells; sputter etching; 10 cm; 12.5 cm; 14 percent; 15 cm; 20 MW; EFG high volume PV manufacturing line; PVMaT technology improvements; electrical losses; laser-cut wafer edges; lower module costs; mechanical losses; module encapsulation materials; plasma etching; raising cell efficiencies; Costs; Encapsulation; Etching; Furnaces; Manufacturing; Optical materials; Plasma applications; Plasma materials processing; Subcontracting; Testing;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, 2002. Conference Record of the Twenty-Ninth IEEE

ISSN

1060-8371

Print_ISBN

0-7803-7471-1

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/PVSC.2002.1190455

Filename

1190455