Long Term Perspective for Photovoltaic R&D ... - ISC Konstanz

LONG TERM PERSPECTIVE FOR PHOTOVOLTAIC R&D ACTIVITIES IN KONSTANZ
Kristian Peter, Radovan Kopecek, Roman Petres, Peter Fath, Eckard Wefringhaus
Iinternational Solar Energy Reseach Center Konstanz (ISC Konstanz)
Rudolf-Diesel-Str.15, 78467 Konstanz, Germany
ABSTRACT: The International Solar Energy Research Center Konstanz (ISC Konstanz) is currently established by a
couple of former co-workers of the University of Konstanz to ensure a long term perspective for the successful
photovoltaic R&D activities in Konstanz and enlarge the R&D portfolio accordingly. The purpose of the association
is the promotion of fundamental and application-orientated research and development in the field of usage of solar
sources of energy. We offer unlimited employment for highly skilled researchers and high flexibility in the fastgrowing
PV environment. An optimised organisational structure and administrative concept should work fast and
effective. The board of directors consists of five active members of the association elected by the assembly of
members.
Keywords: Research, Silicon
1 INTRODUCTION
Our vision is applied research in the area of
renewable energies. We envisage a leading position in
crystalline silicon photovoltaics. The ISC Konstanz is an
independent non-profit organisation, partly publicly
funded and in close collaboration with the whole PV
sector. It offers a development-, training- and test
platform for wafer-, solar cell-, module-, and equipment
manufacturers. The employed scientists and engineer
have the full process know how in screen printed and
buried contact industrial devices as well as high
efficiency lab type solar cells. They hold the world record
in highly efficient large area industrial multicrystalline Si
solar cells and are a leading group in solar cell
development from n-type Si feedstock. They reported
highest efficiency on industrial large scale solar cells with
SoG-Si feedstock from metallurgical route and finally
play a leading role in technology transfer to industry.
The business model considers annual fixed costs via
annual subscription fee of members, donation and leasing
of initial equipment and infrastructure by equipment
manufacturers, purchased systems by initial financial
support of founding companies and members. The Major
financial contribution to the budget is via bilateral R&D
projects (companies / ISC) and projects from third parties
such as European Commission, State or Federal
Government.
2 RESEARCH TOPICS
ISC Konstanz starts with research topics related to
crystalline silicon photovoltaics such as:
• Advanced cell concepts for mono- and mc-Si wafers
• Bifacial cell development with increased power
• Evaluation of n– and p– type silicon feedstock
• Wet chemical processing
• Alternative passivation schemes, e.g. SiC x
• Adapted cell concepts for recycled wafers
• Ag plating of contact fingers combined with ink-jet
printing
• solar cells optimised for low injection (indoor
application)
- Further topics on request and when agreed with the
partners
3 PARTNERS
The ISC Konstanz sustaining members involve
process and characterization equipment manufacturers,
silicon producers and solar cell companies. The main
sponsors are the following:
Centrotherm, Rena, Baccini, Sunways, Ersol, PV
Silicon, Elkem Solar, Semilab. In addition the institute is
supported by Prof. Bucher, the Alice-Wartemann-
Stiftung CH (scholarship), Polymer Kompositer (process
development) and generally by both the city Konstanz
and the Stadtwerke Konstanz.
Research projects with other companies and research
units are possible.
4 FACILITY
The process equipment includes the following machines:
• Centrotherm POCl3 & BBr3 diffusion furnace
• Centrotherm wet and dry thermal oxidation
• Centrothem PECVD and LPCVD process furnaces
• Centrothem fast fire belt / sinter furnace
• Rena batch-type wet benches
• Rena inline wet bench
• Rena phosphorous doper
• Tecnofimes inline diffusion furnace
• Rena Ag plating bench
• Baccini drying furnace
• Baccini semi automatic screen printer
• Baccini laser for edge isolation etc.
The characterization park includes the following
apparatuses:
• Semilab WT 2000 µ-PCD lifetime mapper
• Sinton QSSPC lifetime & suns-V oc measurement unit
• Nanometrics ECV profiler
• ISC thermal imaging unit
• ISC spectral response measurement apparatus
• GP Solar sun simulator
• GP Solar 4-point probe
Further a cooperation contract with the University of
Stuttgart has been signed enabling the use of the whole
equipment of the Prof. Werner’s Chair at the IPE Stuttart.

6 RUBLICATIONS
The results achieved so far by ISC Konstanz are included
in contributions of the following conference proceedings:
Centrotherm diffusion furnace
Centrotherm fast fire belt / sinter furnace
Baccini drying furnace
Semilab µ-PCD mapping system
22 st EU-PVSEC Milano, September 3-7, 2007
• G. Micard et al.: CONDUCTIVITY MEASURE-
MENTS OF NANOCRYSTALLINE THIN FILMS
GROWN BY LEPECVD FOR PHOTOVOLTAIK
APPLICATIONS
• G. Coletti et al.: IMPACT OF FE AND MO ON
MONO- AND MULTICRYSTALLINE SI SOLAR
CELLS
• J. Libal et al.: IMPACT OF EXTENDED DEFECTS
ON THE ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES OF SOLAR
GRADE MULTICRYSTALLINE SILICON
• J. Libal et al.: RECORD EFFICIENCIES OF SOLAR
CELLS BASED ON N-TYPE MULTICRYSTALLINE
SILICON
• V.D. Mihailetchi et al.: HIGH EFFICIENCY
INDUSTRIAL SCREEN PRINTED N-TYPE MC-SI
SOLAR CELLS WITH FRONT BORON EMITTER
• T. Buck et al.: CRYSTALLINE SI THIN FILM N-
TYPE SOLAR CELLS: A SCREEN PRINTED REAR
JUNCTION APPROACH
• E. Wefringhaus et al.: ELECTROLESS SILVER
PLATING OF SCREEN PRINTED FRONT GRID
FINGERS AS A T
21 st EU-PVSEC Dresden, September 4-8 2006
• R. Kopecek et al.: MODULE INTERCONNECTION
WITH ALTERNATE P- AND N-TYPE SI SOLAR
CELLS
• K. Wambach et al.: THE SECOND LIFE OF A 300
KW PV GENERATOR MANUFACTURED WITH
RECYCLED WAFERS FROM THE OLDEST
GERMAN PV POWER PLANT
• E. Bombach et al.: TECHNICAL EXPERIENCE
DURING THERMAL AND CHEMICAL
RECYCLING OF A 23 YEAR OLD PV GENERATOR
FORMERLY INSTALLED ON PELLWORM ISLAND
4 th WCPEC, Waikoloa, Hawaii, 7.-12. Mai 2006
• M. McCann et al.: 18.1% EFFIFCIENCY FOR A
LARGE AREA, MULTI-CRYSTALLINE SILICON
SOLAR CELL
• A. Kränzl et al.: BIFACIAL SOLAR CELLS ON
MULTI-CRYSTALLINE SILICON WITH BORON
BSF AND OPEN REAR CONTACT
• J. Arumughan et al.: REALIZATION OF THIN MC-
SILICON PERT-TYPE BIFACIAL SOLAR CELLS IN
INDUSTRIAL ENVIRONMENTS
• R. Kopecek et al.: LARGE AREA SCREEN PRINTED
N-TYPE SILICON SOLAR CELLS WITH REAR
ALUMINIUM EMITTER: EFFICIENCIES
EXCEEDING 16%
• R. Petres et al.: IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
PASSIVATION OF P + -SI SURFACES BY PECVD
SILICON CARBIDE FILMS
• T. Buck et al.: LARGE AREA SCREEN PRINTED N-
TYPE MC-SI SOLAR CELLS WITH B-EMITTER:
EFFICIENCIES CLOSE TO 15% AND
INNOVATIVE MODULE INTERCONNECTION