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Title: Process research on Semix Silicon Material (PROSSM). Quarterly report No. 5, December 1, 1981-February 28, 1982

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5251447· OSTI ID:5251447

Emphasis was shifted from the development of a cost-effective process sequence to research designed to understand the mechanisms of photovoltaic conversion in semicrystalline silicon. With this change has gone a change of title from Module Experimental Process System Development Unit (MEPSDU) to Process Research of Semix Silicon Material (PROSSM). Efforts are now underway to prepare a revised program plan with emphasis on determining the mechanisms limiting voltage and current collection in the semicrystalline silicon. The efforts reported concern work done before the change in emphasis and so the continued development of the cost-effective process sequence is reported. A cost-effective process sequence was identified, equipment was designed to implement a 6.6 MW per year automated production line, and a cost analysis projected a $0.56 per watt cell add-on cost for this line. Four process steps were developed for this program: glass bead back clean-up; hot spray antireflective coating; wave-soldering of fronts; ion milling for edging. While spray dopants were advertised as an off the shelf developed product, they proved to be unreliable with shorter than advertised shelf life. Equipment for handling and processing solar cells is available for all of the cell processing steps identified in this program. During this quarter efforts included work on spray dopant, edging, AR coating, wave soldering and fluxing, ion milling and cost analysis.

Research Organization:
Solarex Corp., Rockville, MD (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
NAS-7-100-955902
OSTI ID:
5251447
Report Number(s):
DOE/JPL/955902-82/5; ON: DE82015155
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Portions of document are illegible
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English