ReviewOfTheMainProductionTechnologiesForCommercialPhotovoltaics.docVIP

Review Of The Main Production Technologies For Commercial Photovoltaics Peter D. Stuart Loughborough University Loughborough, Leics LE11 3TU Abstract: The main production technologies for commercial photovoltaics are discussed. The mature crystalline silicon processes continue to be the source of most of the world’s solar cells. Advances in thin-film manufacturing technology has led to several viable alternatives. 1. INTRODUCTION Commercial solar cell technologies belong by in large to one of two main categories: Crystalline-Si solar cells. Thin-film solar cells. Crystalline silicon solar cells either single-crystal or multicrystalline currently represent 88% of the market with thin-film technology making up the remaining 12% [1]. Crystalline silicon solar cells are constructed using wafers of crystallised elemental silicon a few hundred nanometres thick. Thin-films on the other hand are of the order of a few tens of nanometres thick. This difference arrises principally from the fact that crystalline silicon is an indirect bandgap semiconductor requiring a longer optical path length to achieve full absorption than the direct-bandgap materials used in thin films. 2. CRYSTALLINE SILICON SOLAR CELLS The first stage in the manufacture of crystalline silicon solar cells is the production of high purity silicon and is currently not actually undertaken by the photovoltaic industry. 2.1 Refinement Of Pure Silicon The PV industry relies on the microelectronics industry for it’s supply of purified silicon. Electronic-grade grade silicon is 99.99999% pure and is described as poly-crystalline as it has no particular crystallographic structure. All electronic grade silicon is produced by the thermal decomposition of high-purity SiHCl3 or SiH4 in one of two reactor types [2]: Siemens-type Reactor Fluidised Bed Reactor The starting material for both processes is metallurgical grade silicon which is produced by reducing quartzite with coal in an electric arc furnace. 2