SILEX
SILEX – IPA-Free Wet Process Equipment for Cleaning, Texturing and PSG Removal
Today’s dominating solar cell concept is based on cells made from crystalline silicon. SINGULUS STANGL SOLAR provides complete automated dry-in/dry-out solutions for wet treatment of Si-wafers in standard and high-efficiency cell lines. Batch-type working Wet Benches (WB -series) are the “workhorses” for cleaning and etching processes in Si cell technology. The new generation of the SILEX machine is characterized by a multitude of advantages compared with traditional wet-chemical texturing systems: due to the lack of volatile, easily inflammable solvents the construction of the system as well as the process control are facilitated. The new texturing process provides extremely stable and reproducible process results. In particular in terms of the achieved surface quality of the silicon cells, the etching machine meets the highest demands of the photovoltaics industry. Last but not least, the applied processing chemicals make the waste disposal of etching solutions easier compared to traditional systems. These factors are reflected in high cost efficiency of the new texturing process. The SILEX system achieves an output of up to 3,000 wph and is characterized by low scrap rates of less than 0.05 % as well as homogenous etching results. With a wafer thickness of around 150 μm the SINGULUS STANGL SOLAR plant meets the current requirements of modern mass production in the silicon solar technology. The compact size as well as the modular design enable a space-saving and efficient integration of the machine into existing production lines. The core of the modified SILEX system is a new IPA-free texturing process offering substantial cost advantages compared to traditional etching systems. This texturing process completely refrains from using flammable, volatile solvents such as Isopropanol (IPA) and enables a stable, wet-chemical texturing process for silicon wafers on the basis of commercialized additives. |
With the application of this alkaline texturing process the etching solution lifetime is tripled for the modified SILEX etching system with a shortening of the etching duration at the same time. Accordingly, the production costs for monocrystalline silicon solar cells are substantially reduced. Main Features
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