Manufacture of Si ribbons by the S-web-technique

Abstract

The S-Web technique was developed for the high-throughput production of sheet Si for low cost crystalline solar cells. A pilot unit was installed to demonstrate continuous Si ribbon growth. With this machine Si ribbons have been grown continuously at a speed of 1 m/min up to a length of 145 m; the width was 11-12 cm. A maximum pulling speed of 2 m/min has been achieved. Test solar cells of S-Web ribbons pulled with a laboratory unit have efficiencies up to > 12 %, large area standard cells have efficiencies of up to 9 , 8 8 . A module made of such standard cells had a mean cell efficiency of 9 % .