Cast polycrystalline silicon photovoltaic module manufacturing technology improvements. Annual subcontract report, 1 January 1996--31 December 1996

doi:https://doi.org/10.2172/541852

Title: Cast polycrystalline silicon photovoltaic module manufacturing technology improvements. Annual subcontract report, 1 January 1996--31 December 1996

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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 »« less

Authors:

Wohlgemuth, J ^[1]

Solarex Corp., Frederick, MD (United States)

Publication Date:: 1997-10-01

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.

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                    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

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                    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.

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@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}

}

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