Novel Texture Processes for the Latest Industrial Wafer

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Wafer texturing is one of the first steps in creating a solar cell from a silicon wafer. The texturing roughens or etches the solar cell surface, to improve the cell’s performance by reducing light lost from reflection and trapping light in the solar cell.Improved wafering processes using better quality silicon material and advanced cell processing holds the key to the improved cost effectiveness of solar energy. Development is also required in the texture processes that introduces light trapping in the wafer.Key resultsThe project looked at improving cell manufacturing with new texture processes and extending cell manufacturing processes to include new wafering techniques. The project brought together Australian and German research and manufacturing partners to test new approaches on Chinese manufacturing lines.In this project:Novel plasma texturing resulted in efficiencies in manufacturing production that are comparable with cells produced using standard cell line processes on slurry sawn wafers.Progress was made with applying novel plasma texturing to new wafer production methods with the aim of delivering a new technology that will result in lower manufacturing cost through increased yield.The characterisation of the anti-reflection process was improved through the development of a new in-line monitoring tool.

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