Shin-Etsu Chemical, a Phoenix-based supplier of semiconductor materials, has introduced a range of products specifically designed for the PV and solar marketplace.
For thin-film solar cell device manufacturing, Shin-Etsu now offers customized pyrolytic boron nitride (PBN) crucibles, boats and other products for copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) deposition processes.
Both PBN-coated graphite and pure PBN parts offer high purity and stability with very limited outgassing, the company notes. These ceramic parts are high-heat and thermal-shock resistant with excellent thermal insulation. PBN is chemically stable and non-toxic. It is resistant to oxidation, and impurities are almost non-detectable.
Shin-Etsu has also introduced pyrolytic graphite heaters and PBN-coated graphite heaters for application-specific solar requirements. In addition, the company has rolled out new silicone-based potting materials for weatherproof solar panel junction boxes. These materials quickly cure at room temperature and, after curing, make the junction box both corrosion- and moisture-proof.
Shin-Etsu says it also offers materials for sealing either the junction box or the PV panel to the frame, providing lap shear strength, fast tack-free/skin-over cure, color and clarity stability, and cohesion – both before and after curing.
Finally, the company has released double-stick thermal tape for thermal diffusion of the substrate on the back sheet of the solar module, which helps increase the overall efficiency of the module, Shin-Etsu says.
Shin-Etsu: (480) 893.8898
SOURCE: Shin-Etsu
