Crack detection in crystalline silicon solar cells using dark-field imaging
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Author(s)
Wieghold, Sarah
Morishige, Ashley Elizabeth
Meyer, Luke
Buonassisi, Anthony
Sachs, Emanuel Michael
Date Issued
September 2017
Journal
Energy Procedia
Publisher
Elsevier
Citation
Wieghold, Sarah et al. “Crack Detection in Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells Using Dark-Field Imaging.” Energy Procedia 124 (September 2017): 526–531 © The Authors
Version
Final published version
Abstract
The high capital expenditure (capex) necessary to manufacture crystalline silicon PV modules negatively affects the levelized cost of electricity (¢/kWh) and critically impacts the rate at which the PV industry can scale up. Wafer, cell, and module fabrication with thin free-standing silicon wafers is one key to reduce capex. Thin wafers reduce capex associated with silicon refining and wafer fabrication, which together sum to 58% of the total capex of silicon module manufacturing. In addition, thin wafers directly and significantly reduce variable costs. However, introducing 50 μm thin free-standing wafers into today's manufacturing lines result in cracking, creating a yield-based disincentive. Due to the brittle nature of silicon, wafer breakage is the major concern due to the high stress that is induced during processes in manufacturing lines. In this paper, we describe an improved method for edge micro-crack detection that can help enable low-capex, thin free-standing Si wafers. We present a method of detecting and measuring cracks along wafer edges by using a dark-field IR scattering imaging technique which enables detection of edge cracks at the micron scale. Keywords: Capex; polysilicon; thin free-standing wafer; edge crack detection; IR scattering; dark-field imaging
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering
Terms of Use
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License
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DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1016/J.EGYPRO.2017.09.252
