Configuration of High Volume Solar Cell Production Lines Based on Crystalline Material Technology and Commercial Issues.

In the process of Solar Cell Production becoming a mature industry, the discussion about the optimal approach for the best market success is intensified. There are different development directions as high efficiency, new cell technology, bigger wafer size, low investment cost, inline or batch processing, automation, etc. which cannot be all optimized without sacrifices. In the presentation the key market requirement will be summarized and the impact on the different approaches will be discussed. Based on these information, design and technology criteria for new solar cell production lines will be derived