Thin (<100µm) crystalline silicon solar cell fabrication using low cost feedstock and diamond wire slice technologies

Thin (less than 100μm) crystalline silicon solar cells were fabricated by using the low cost feedstock and diamond wire technologies. The polycrystalline silicon was produced by the zinc reduction process. The single crystal silicon ingot was obtained by the Cz method form this low cost silicon feedstock. Thin (<;120μm) silicon wafers were sliced by the diamond multi-wiring technique. To avoid the breakage of such thin wafer during the cell production, some processes, such as screen print and firing, were improved, and the thin crystalline silicon solar cell was obtained.