Cast polycrystalline silicon photovoltaic module manufacturing technology improvements. Annual subcontract report, 1 January 1996--31 December 1996
Abstract
This report describes Solarex`s accomplishments during this phase of the Photovoltaic Manufacturing Technology (PVMaT) program. During this reporting period, Solarex researchers converted 79% of production casting stations to increase ingot size and operated them at equivalent yields and cell efficiencies; doubled the casting capacity at 20% the cost of buying new equipment to achieve the same capacity increase; operated the wire saws in a production mode with higher yields and lower costs than achieved on the ID saws; purchased additional wire saws; developed and qualified a new wire-guide coating material that doubles the wire-guide lifetime and produces significantly less scatter in wafer thickness; ran an Al paste back-surface-field process on 25% of all cells in manufacturing; completed environmental qualification of modules using cells produced by an all-print metallization process; qualified a vendor-supplied Tedlar/ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) laminate to replace the combination of separate sheets of EVA and Tedlar backsheet; substituted RTV adhesive for the 3M Very High Bond tape after several field problems with the tape; demonstrated the operation of a prototype unit to trim/lead attach/test modules; demonstrated the use of light soldering for solar cells; demonstrated the operation of a wafer pull-down system for cassetting wet wafers; and presentedmore »
- Authors:
-
- Solarex Corp., Frederick, MD (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (United States); Solarex Corp., Frederick, MD (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Washington, DC (United States)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 541852
- Report Number(s):
- NREL/SR-520-23623
ON: DE98000764; TRN: AHC29723%%71
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC36-83CH10093
- Resource Type:
- Technical Report
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: Oct 1997
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 14 SOLAR ENERGY; FABRICATION; SILICON SOLAR CELLS; PROGRESS REPORT; AUTOMATION; RELIABILITY; CAPACITY
Citation Formats
Wohlgemuth, J. Cast polycrystalline silicon photovoltaic module manufacturing technology improvements. Annual subcontract report, 1 January 1996--31 December 1996. United States: N. p., 1997.
Web. doi:10.2172/541852.
Wohlgemuth, J. Cast polycrystalline silicon photovoltaic module manufacturing technology improvements. Annual subcontract report, 1 January 1996--31 December 1996. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/541852
Wohlgemuth, J. Wed .
"Cast polycrystalline silicon photovoltaic module manufacturing technology improvements. Annual subcontract report, 1 January 1996--31 December 1996". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/541852. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/541852.
@article{osti_541852,
title = {Cast polycrystalline silicon photovoltaic module manufacturing technology improvements. Annual subcontract report, 1 January 1996--31 December 1996},
author = {Wohlgemuth, J},
abstractNote = {This report describes Solarex`s accomplishments during this phase of the Photovoltaic Manufacturing Technology (PVMaT) program. During this reporting period, Solarex researchers converted 79% of production casting stations to increase ingot size and operated them at equivalent yields and cell efficiencies; doubled the casting capacity at 20% the cost of buying new equipment to achieve the same capacity increase; operated the wire saws in a production mode with higher yields and lower costs than achieved on the ID saws; purchased additional wire saws; developed and qualified a new wire-guide coating material that doubles the wire-guide lifetime and produces significantly less scatter in wafer thickness; ran an Al paste back-surface-field process on 25% of all cells in manufacturing; completed environmental qualification of modules using cells produced by an all-print metallization process; qualified a vendor-supplied Tedlar/ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) laminate to replace the combination of separate sheets of EVA and Tedlar backsheet; substituted RTV adhesive for the 3M Very High Bond tape after several field problems with the tape; demonstrated the operation of a prototype unit to trim/lead attach/test modules; demonstrated the use of light soldering for solar cells; demonstrated the operation of a wafer pull-down system for cassetting wet wafers; and presented three PVMaT-related papers at the 25th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference.},
doi = {10.2172/541852},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/541852},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {1997},
month = {10}
}