1366 Project Automate: Enabling Automation for <$0.10/W High-Efficiency Kerfless Wafers Manufactured in the US

Free-standing ultrathin silicon wafers and solar cells through edges reinforcement

“…It is a multi-crystalline silicon wafer growing technology which forms a wafer directly from molten silicon in a bath-like furnace, with the ability to locally control wafer thickness. Thus, it can produce thin wafers with thick edge 26,27 . However, it suffers from serious problems: low bulk lifetime, high total thickness variation (TTV) and difficulty in growing very thin framed wafers 27 .…”

“…Thus, it can produce thin wafers with thick edge 26,27 . However, it suffers from serious problems: low bulk lifetime, high total thickness variation (TTV) and difficulty in growing very thin framed wafers 27 . Recently, a technique of blunting pyramidal structure in the marginal regions was proposed by Liu et al for thin silicon solar cells with a thickness of around 60 μm 2 .…”