Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates Inc. says it has recently secured a $4.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy under the Obama administration's SunShot program to develop U.S solar technologies. The goal of this project is to reduce the cost of manufacturing interdigitated back contact (IBC) cells.
Varian says its ion implant process for IBC cell manufacturing will reduce manufacturing variability, cell handling, cell breakage and manufacturing cycle time while increasing yield.
‘We are pleased to be the recipient of this SunShot grant and to receive the only award focused on silicon cell technology and manufacturing,’ says Dr. Paul Sullivan, Varian's vice president of business development. ‘This award will support our development of technology to enable the manufacture of advanced high-efficiency IBC cell structures with dramatically simplified processes that will ultimately enable the lowest manufacturing costs of solar panels.’
SOURCE: Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates Inc.
