DocumentCode :
1744305
Title :
R&D toward a 15+% efficiency solar cell manufacturing line for EFG silicon wafers
Author :
Bathey, B.R. ; Kalejs, J.P. ; Rosenblum, M.D. ; Kardauskas, M.J. ; Giancola, R.M. ; Cao, J.
Author_Institution :
ASE Americas Inc., Billerica, MA, USA
fYear :
2000
fDate :
2000
Firstpage :
194
Lastpage :
197
Abstract :
High growth rates used in multicrystalline silicon wafer production result in defects and deficiencies in bulk lifetime. This imposes a challenge for solar cell processing to find methods which recover this lifetime. We report here on R&D on a 4 MW EFG Si manufacturing line which has addressed this issue. Efforts in wafer and cell fabrication areas included: obtaining consistent graphite purification methods to improve as-grown wafer bulk quality, and optimization of bulk resistivity, SiN AR deposition, and lastly, metalization firing with respect to sheet resistivity and Al layer thickness. We discuss application of statistical process control methodology and design of experiment techniques used in this optimization. This work resulted in achieving greater than 14% average production cell efficiencies on 10×10 cm EFG wafers, and individual cell lots with efficiencies as high as 14.7%, with over one-third of the cells exceeding 15%. Lastly, we discuss current barriers to attaining overall averages of 15%
Keywords :
carrier lifetime; crystal defects; crystal growth from melt; design of experiments; electrical resistivity; elemental semiconductors; metallisation; silicon; solar cells; statistical process control; 10 cm; 15 percent; Al layer thickness; EFG Si manufacturing line; EFG silicon wafers; R&D; Si; SiN; SiN AR deposition; antireflection coating; as-grown wafer bulk quality; average production cell efficiencies; bulk lifetime deficiencies; bulk resistivity optimisation; cell fabrication; consistent graphite purification methods; defects; metalization firing; multicrystalline silicon wafer production; sheet resistivity; solar cell manufacturing line; solar cell processing; statistical process control; Conductivity; Design methodology; Fabrication; Manufacturing; Optimization methods; Photovoltaic cells; Process control; Production; Purification; Silicon compounds;
fLanguage :
English
Publisher :
ieee
Conference_Titel :
Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, 2000. Conference Record of the Twenty-Eighth IEEE
Conference_Location :
Anchorage, AK
ISSN :
0160-8371
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-5772-8
Type :
conf
DOI :
10.1109/PVSC.2000.915787
Filename :
915787
Link To Document :
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