Title :
Automation in HEM silicon ingot production [for solar cells]
Author :
Khattak, Chandra P. ; Schmid, Frederick
Author_Institution :
Crystal Syst. Inc., Salem, MA, USA
Abstract :
A fully automated heat exchanger method (HEM) furnace has been used to produce 55 cm square cross section, 155 kg, multicrystalline silicon ingots with precise control, uniformity and consistency. Operator involvement was limited to loading and unloading of the furnace. With a cycle time of 48 hours, the installed capacity for such a furnace is 1.75 MW/year on production basis. Solar cells up to 18.6% (1 cm2) efficiency have been fabricated
Keywords :
annealing; elemental semiconductors; furnaces; heat exchangers; process control; semiconductor device manufacture; silicon; solar cells; 155 kg; 18.6 percent; 48 h; Si; consistency; heat exchanger method furnace; manufacturing automation; multicrystalline silicon; silicon ingot production; solar cell fabrication; uniformity; Automation; Costs; Impurities; Manufacturing industries; Photovoltaic cells; Photovoltaic systems; Production; Shape; Silicon; Solar power generation;
Conference_Titel :
Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, 1996., Conference Record of the Twenty Fifth IEEE
Conference_Location :
Washington, DC
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-3166-4
DOI :
10.1109/PVSC.1996.564077
