Solar cells manufactured more efficiently
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March 16, 2010 10:15 AM
Silicon (in wafer form) is the basis for most conventional potovoltaic cells. When large single crystal rods of silicon are cut into wafers, half of the grown silicon material is lost as dust.
The new process discussed in this article from Technology Review produces wafers directly from molten silicon without any sawing. This saves material and reduces the number of steps needed to make solar cells, which bring down costs and meet 1366 Technologies goal to compete directly with coal.
"The process was invented by Emanuel Sachs, a professor at MIT who developed a similar technology that was commercialized by Evergreen Solar, a solar cell manufacturer based in Marlboro, MA. But the new process will be much faster, says Frank van Mierlo, 1366's CEO. One machine could produce 30 times more watts of solar cells, which could lower the cost of equipment, as far fewer machines would be needed to make the same number of solar cells. The company plans to make solar cells that are the same dimensions as conventional solar cells. That way they can be stitched together in arrays to make complete solar panels using existing manufacturing lines."
Growing sheets of silicon rather than rods has been discussed for a long time (some states have even investigated its possibilities). Most organizations no longer grow the silicon they use to create devices, instead they purchase the finished wafers. I wonder if this will make companies go lower into the supply chain?
Originally posted on The Next Big Thing blog
| Blogger Profile: Charlie Bess | |
| Charles Bess has worked in the Information Technology industry for about 30 years supporting a variety of large organizations and industries. Charlie has performed a variety of formal and technical leadership roles throughout EDS and now HP. He is a licensed professional engineer and in 2002, a senior member of IEEE and was recognized as a Fellow within HP for his focus on value delivery and innovation. Currently he is focused on the Chief Technologist functional relationship between HP and its largest clients. In addition to these activities, Charlie has also worked as a public speaker, advisor to SMUs MBA program and supported engineering and computer science activities at Purdue University and University of North Texas. He’s been blogging on technology and business value related topics since early 2003. |  |
