Natcore Introduces New Passivation Process to Improve Solar Output

Scientists, who work at Natcore Technology, revealed that they have developed an efficient process to passivate the top of a typical commercial silicon solar cell over which a silica film can be developed by utilizing a liquid phase deposition (LPD) method.

Passivation is the process of filling the suspended atomic bonds over the top of a solar cell and to reduce the blemishes that remain on the top region of the cell body. This method is important to improve the performance of the silicon solar cells and for the long life of the solar cells.

The sophisticated LPD procedure developed by the company allows achieving of the required passivation by utilizing similar production procedures that are followed to construct the top and bottom metal links of a solar cell without the need for an extra heating cycle. The introduced interactive technology which utilizes the similar cell manufacture procedures is expected to reduce the complications experienced in the standard solar cell production process. The new technology also does away with the requirement of utilizing a vacuum furnace in the manufacture of thinner silicon wafers by passivating the back surface of the cell with a coating of silica below the total surface of the aluminum back contact. This step reduces the cost of production and also lessens the environmental impact.

Natcore is awaiting the receipt of patent for this new development process which can be introduced cost effectively as an easy add-on with the existing equipment in the production process. The company is planning to hold discussions with the existing providers of such equipment locally as well as in other countries to build up trial run production positions with chosen manufacturers before commencing the full scale launching of the technology all over the world.