Milpitas, Calif.-based PV cell and module manufacturer Solexel has unveiled its new silicon solar cell technology.
Instead of using the traditional polysilicon, ingot and wafering process, Solexel deposits trichlorosilane gas on a reusable monocrystalline silicon template, through a process called epitaxy. Through this highly controlled process, Solexel grows monocrystalline silicon wafers with 35-nm thickness, the company explains.
The wafers are supported throughout the cell process, initially by the reusable template, and further in the process by a flexible backplane that is attached to the back of each wafer. A proprietary tool releases the ultra-thin cell from its reusable template, which can be reused more than 50 times, without any degradation in cell performance, according to Solexel. The company produces full-square, 156 mm x 156mm back-contact cells.
