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Plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) are expected to play a role as power grid ancillary service providers through vehicle-to-grid (V2G) chargers, enabling higher levels of renewable electricity penetration. However, to fully exploit the storage capacity of PEVs and fast responsiveness, it is crucial to understand their operational characteristics. This work proposes a characterization procedure for V2G systems providing grid services. It extends the existing literature on response time, AC/DC conversion and reactive power assessment. Illustrative results were obtained by implementing the procedure using a Nissan Leaf battery electric vehicle (BEV) connected to a remotely operated commercial V2G CHAdeMO charger. The V2G system was characterized as having a relative inaccuracy and variability of response inferior to 3% and 0.4%, respectively. Its average communication and ramping times are 2.37 s and 0.26 s/kW, respectively. Its conversion efficiency and power factor both showed degradation in the power values below 50% of the charger’s nominal power. Moreover, the proposed visualizations revealed that: i) the V2G system implements power requests for the DC power flow; ii) the power factor control algorithm was nonoperational; and iii) the acquired data can leverage statistical models that describe the operation of V2G systems (which is of extreme value for researchers and operators).
Ângelo Casaleiro; Rodrigo Amaro E Silva; João Serra. Plug-in Electric Vehicles for Grid Services Provision: Proposing an Operational Characterization Procedure for V2G Systems. Energies 2020, 13, 1240 .
AMA StyleÂngelo Casaleiro, Rodrigo Amaro E Silva, João Serra. Plug-in Electric Vehicles for Grid Services Provision: Proposing an Operational Characterization Procedure for V2G Systems. Energies. 2020; 13 (5):1240.
Chicago/Turabian StyleÂngelo Casaleiro; Rodrigo Amaro E Silva; João Serra. 2020. "Plug-in Electric Vehicles for Grid Services Provision: Proposing an Operational Characterization Procedure for V2G Systems." Energies 13, no. 5: 1240.
Barium di-silicide (BaSi2) is a very promising absorber material for high-efficiency thin-film solar cells, due to its suitable bandgap, high light absorption coefficient, and long minority-carrier lifetime. In this study, we compare the nanostructure, layer composition, and point defects of BaSi2 thin films deposited by Radio Frequency (RF) sputtering, Thermal Evaporation (TE), and Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE), using Doppler Broadening Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy (DB-PAS) depth profiling, Raman spectroscopy, and x-ray diffraction. Our DB-PAS study on thermally annealed RF-sputter deposited and on TE-deposited BaSi2 layers, in a comparison with high quality BaSi2 films produced by MBE, points to the presence of vacancy-oxygen complexes and Si or Ba mono-vacancies, respectively, in the (poly)crystalline BaSi2 films. The degree of near-surface oxidation increases, going from MBE and TE to the industrially applicable RF-sputtered deposition synthesis. The use of a-Si capping layers on the thermally annealed RF-sputtered BaSi2 films leads to a clear reduction in sub-surface oxidation and improves the quality of the BaSi2 films, as judged from DB-PAS.Barium di-silicide (BaSi2) is a very promising absorber material for high-efficiency thin-film solar cells, due to its suitable bandgap, high light absorption coefficient, and long minority-carrier lifetime. In this study, we compare the nanostructure, layer composition, and point defects of BaSi2 thin films deposited by Radio Frequency (RF) sputtering, Thermal Evaporation (TE), and Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE), using Doppler Broadening Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy (DB-PAS) depth profiling, Raman spectroscopy, and x-ray diffraction. Our DB-PAS study on thermally annealed RF-sputter deposited and on TE-deposited BaSi2 layers, in a comparison with high quality BaSi2 films produced by MBE, points to the presence of vacancy-oxygen complexes and Si or Ba mono-vacancies, respectively, in the (poly)crystalline BaSi2 films. The degree of near-surface oxidation increases, going from MBE and TE to the industrially applicable RF-sputtered deposition synthesis. The use of a-Si capping layers on the thermally an...
A. Montes; S. W. H. Eijt; Yilei Tian; R. Gram; H. Schut; T. Suemasu; N. Usami; M. Zeman; Joao Serra; O. Isabella. Point defects in BaSi2 thin films for photovoltaic applications studied by positron annihilation spectroscopy. Journal of Applied Physics 2020, 127, 085304 .
AMA StyleA. Montes, S. W. H. Eijt, Yilei Tian, R. Gram, H. Schut, T. Suemasu, N. Usami, M. Zeman, Joao Serra, O. Isabella. Point defects in BaSi2 thin films for photovoltaic applications studied by positron annihilation spectroscopy. Journal of Applied Physics. 2020; 127 (8):085304.
Chicago/Turabian StyleA. Montes; S. W. H. Eijt; Yilei Tian; R. Gram; H. Schut; T. Suemasu; N. Usami; M. Zeman; Joao Serra; O. Isabella. 2020. "Point defects in BaSi2 thin films for photovoltaic applications studied by positron annihilation spectroscopy." Journal of Applied Physics 127, no. 8: 085304.
We present the results achieved with an optical zone melting recrystallization (ZMR) system, which concentrates the radiation of two halogen lamps on the surface of a microcrystalline silicon (µc-Si) ribbon sample, creating a long, 2 mm width molten region (∼1414° C). µc-Si ribbon samples measuring up to 25×100 mm2 were previously obtained using an inline optical chemical vapor deposition (CVD) system, that grows silicon layers on top of a silicon dust substrate. Inside the ZMR system, the µc-Si ribbon sample is recrystallized in an argon atmosphere and using a step motor to pull the ribbon at a constant speed between 1 to 6 mm/min, the molten zone travels along the ribbon, recrystallizing the whole sample into a multi-crystalline silicon (mc-Si) ribbon, with an average crystal size in the [1; 10] mm range. It was observed that the physical characteristics of the µc-Si ribbon, like powder substrate incorporation, porosity, thickness, powder grain size used as substrate in the CVD step, have a crucial influence on the recrystallization process and on the electrical properties of the mc-Si ribbon obtained after the ZMR process. Lifetime measurements performed on the recrystallized samples suggest that improvements regarding crystalline quality and possible presence of impurities need to be addressed.
Filipe C. Serra; Elmahdi Amar; David R. Pêra; José Silva; Joao Serra. Zone melting recrystallization of microcrystalline silicon ribbons obtained by chemical vapor deposition. 15th International Conference on Concentrator Photovoltaic Systems (CPV-15) 2019, 2147, 140008 .
AMA StyleFilipe C. Serra, Elmahdi Amar, David R. Pêra, José Silva, Joao Serra. Zone melting recrystallization of microcrystalline silicon ribbons obtained by chemical vapor deposition. 15th International Conference on Concentrator Photovoltaic Systems (CPV-15). 2019; 2147 (1):140008.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFilipe C. Serra; Elmahdi Amar; David R. Pêra; José Silva; Joao Serra. 2019. "Zone melting recrystallization of microcrystalline silicon ribbons obtained by chemical vapor deposition." 15th International Conference on Concentrator Photovoltaic Systems (CPV-15) 2147, no. 1: 140008.
This chapter reviews the applications of luminescence-based techniques in the photovoltaic industry, with special focus on crystalline silicon-based devices – the dominant technology in the market. Section 1 introduces the principles of the photovoltaic effect and describes the light capture and conversion in the device. A brief description of the state-of-the-art device manufacture is then given along with a description of how power conversion efficiency of photovoltaic devices is determined. Section 2 describes the origin of luminescence in photovoltaic devices and also describes the luminescence-based characterization of photovoltaic cells and modules. Section 3 describes in detail how luminescence (photo- and electroluminescence) measurements are applied in the complete value chain of the PV industry, from ingot, to wafer, to device, to module, to complete infield systems. Section 4 briefly describes how luminescence is also relevant for emerging thin-film photovoltaic technologies. Section 5 describes a recently developed technique, reverse bias electroluminescence, where the photovoltaic devices are inversely polarized. The emitted photons here are a result of charge carrier acceleration and consequent scattering and/or recombination in a high electric field. Section 6 concludes this chapter with an outlook on how luminescence imaging is expected to develop in the near future, namely, how currently under development lab techniques will likely be transferred to the industrial environment.
José Almeida Silva; Joao Serra; António Manuel Vallêra; Killian Lobato. Luminescence in Photovoltaics. Perspectives on Fluorescence 2019, 173 -211.
AMA StyleJosé Almeida Silva, Joao Serra, António Manuel Vallêra, Killian Lobato. Luminescence in Photovoltaics. Perspectives on Fluorescence. 2019; ():173-211.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJosé Almeida Silva; Joao Serra; António Manuel Vallêra; Killian Lobato. 2019. "Luminescence in Photovoltaics." Perspectives on Fluorescence , no. : 173-211.
The silicon on dust substrate process is a two‐step technique to produce multicrystalline silicon (mc‐Si) ribbons directly from gaseous feedstock. Silicon pre‐ribbons of very small grain size (ranging from nano to microcrystalline), with a porous structure and dimensions up to 25 × 100 mm2, are obtained using an inline optical chemical vapor deposition (CVD) system operating at atmospheric pressure and at low temperatures (<600 °C). Using silane as the gaseous precursor, nano or microcrystalline silicon layers can be grown, on top of silicon powder substrates, moving at constant speed, and crossing three hot deposition regions several times. The growth rates (GR) vary from 13.4 to 73.2 μm min−1, depending on the grain size of silicon powder. The last step is a floating zone (FZ) recrystallization technique, where the silicon pre‐ribbons obtained in the CVD step, become solid mc‐Si ribbons. The success of recrystallization depends on the grain size of silicon powder used as substrate on the CVD step, with lower grain sizes powders delivering better results. For the lower size powder substrates, multi‐crystalline areas of 5–20 mm2 were obtained, with an average crystal size in the (0.1; 1) mm range.
Filipe C. Serra; José A. Silva; João M. Serra; António M. Vallera. Silicon on Dust Substrate: The Effect of Powder Size on Ribbon Production. physica status solidi (a) 2018, 215, 1 .
AMA StyleFilipe C. Serra, José A. Silva, João M. Serra, António M. Vallera. Silicon on Dust Substrate: The Effect of Powder Size on Ribbon Production. physica status solidi (a). 2018; 215 (17):1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFilipe C. Serra; José A. Silva; João M. Serra; António M. Vallera. 2018. "Silicon on Dust Substrate: The Effect of Powder Size on Ribbon Production." physica status solidi (a) 215, no. 17: 1.
In this work, we report recent results of solar cells fabricated on silicon foils obtained by the Stress induced LIft-off Method (SLIM)-cut technique using an epoxy stress-inducing layer. Indeed, the use of silicon foils for the production of solar cells offers the ability to reduce material costs while allowing potentially a higher conversion efficiency. We show experimentally that silicon foil thicknesses between 40 and 140 μm can be tuned by changing the thickness of the epoxy. Standalone silicon foil based solar cells have been realized, and conversion efficiencies of 12.5% and 13.8% have been measured using 55 μm and 120 μm thick foils, respectively. In view of potential industrialization, mechanical support must be used during solar cells and module fabrication to avoid silicon foil breakage. Two different supporting substrates were therefore tested: an aluminum sheet and a sintered silicon substrate. Conversion efficiencies of 10.9% and 12.1% were obtained using 40 μm and 90 μm thick silicon foils on a polished Al substrate. Finally, a promising result of 13.1% was obtained after mini-module fabrication from 6 SLIM-cut solar cells (100 μm thick silicon foils) on the sintered silicon substrate using the i-cell concept.
P. Bellanger; A. Slaoui; S. Roques; A. G. Ulyashin; M. Debucquoy; A. Straboni; A. Sow; Y. Salinesi; I. Costa; J. M. Serra. Silicon foil solar cells on low cost supports. Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy 2018, 10, 023502 .
AMA StyleP. Bellanger, A. Slaoui, S. Roques, A. G. Ulyashin, M. Debucquoy, A. Straboni, A. Sow, Y. Salinesi, I. Costa, J. M. Serra. Silicon foil solar cells on low cost supports. Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy. 2018; 10 (2):023502.
Chicago/Turabian StyleP. Bellanger; A. Slaoui; S. Roques; A. G. Ulyashin; M. Debucquoy; A. Straboni; A. Sow; Y. Salinesi; I. Costa; J. M. Serra. 2018. "Silicon foil solar cells on low cost supports." Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy 10, no. 2: 023502.
Filipe C. Serra; José A. Silva; António M. Vallera; João M. Serra. CVD silicon film growth on powder substrates using an inline optical system. Energy Procedia 2017, 124, 781 -785.
AMA StyleFilipe C. Serra, José A. Silva, António M. Vallera, João M. Serra. CVD silicon film growth on powder substrates using an inline optical system. Energy Procedia. 2017; 124 ():781-785.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFilipe C. Serra; José A. Silva; António M. Vallera; João M. Serra. 2017. "CVD silicon film growth on powder substrates using an inline optical system." Energy Procedia 124, no. : 781-785.
Joao Serra; Jorge Maia Alves; A.M. Vallera. Progress and challenges for cost effective kerfless Silicon crystal growth for PV application. Journal of Crystal Growth 2017, 468, 590 -594.
AMA StyleJoao Serra, Jorge Maia Alves, A.M. Vallera. Progress and challenges for cost effective kerfless Silicon crystal growth for PV application. Journal of Crystal Growth. 2017; 468 ():590-594.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJoao Serra; Jorge Maia Alves; A.M. Vallera. 2017. "Progress and challenges for cost effective kerfless Silicon crystal growth for PV application." Journal of Crystal Growth 468, no. : 590-594.
In order to understand how partial shading at the cell level affects modules normal operation, a standard monocrystalline silicon PV module, divided in three equivalent cell strings by bypass diodes, was submitted to several shading fractions ranging between 10% and 100% of a solar cell area. The modules were characterized by thermal imaging using a thermal camera and I-V curves were also obtained. A loss in the current produced in the string containing the shaded cell was verified. Such current loss increases with the shaded area, plummeting the electrical power produced by the module by one third for larger shading fractions. For all the shadings tested, a significant and non-uniform increase of temperature of the shaded cell was detected. For shaded fractions of 50% and 70%, the temperature differences between the shaded cell and the rest of the module were as high as 36.6 °C and 56.9 °C respectively.
David Pera; Jose A. Silva; Sara Costa; Joao Serra; Abdel-Rahman A. Ibdah; Puja Pradhan; Puruswottam Aryal; Nikolas J. Podraza; Sylvain Marsillac; Robert W. Collins. Investigating the impact of solar cells partial shading on photovoltaic modules by thermography. 2017 IEEE 44th Photovoltaic Specialist Conference (PVSC) 2017, 1979 -1983.
AMA StyleDavid Pera, Jose A. Silva, Sara Costa, Joao Serra, Abdel-Rahman A. Ibdah, Puja Pradhan, Puruswottam Aryal, Nikolas J. Podraza, Sylvain Marsillac, Robert W. Collins. Investigating the impact of solar cells partial shading on photovoltaic modules by thermography. 2017 IEEE 44th Photovoltaic Specialist Conference (PVSC). 2017; ():1979-1983.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDavid Pera; Jose A. Silva; Sara Costa; Joao Serra; Abdel-Rahman A. Ibdah; Puja Pradhan; Puruswottam Aryal; Nikolas J. Podraza; Sylvain Marsillac; Robert W. Collins. 2017. "Investigating the impact of solar cells partial shading on photovoltaic modules by thermography." 2017 IEEE 44th Photovoltaic Specialist Conference (PVSC) , no. : 1979-1983.
M. Frazão; José Silva; Killian Lobato; Joao Serra. Electroluminescence of silicon solar cells using a consumer grade digital camera. Measurement 2017, 99, 7 -12.
AMA StyleM. Frazão, José Silva, Killian Lobato, Joao Serra. Electroluminescence of silicon solar cells using a consumer grade digital camera. Measurement. 2017; 99 ():7-12.
Chicago/Turabian StyleM. Frazão; José Silva; Killian Lobato; Joao Serra. 2017. "Electroluminescence of silicon solar cells using a consumer grade digital camera." Measurement 99, no. : 7-12.
In this paper, we report on the first solar cells fabricated on silicon foils employing the stress-induced liftoff methodcut technique and using an epoxy stress-inducing layer. The latter is a 900-μm-thick epoxy layer, which was manually dispensed on the surface of a monocrystalline silicon sample and cured at 150 °C for 1 h. The crack propagation is then activated by cooling down the sample to room temperature on an aluminum plate. The structural and electrical properties of the resulting silicon foils are presented. The thickness of the silicon foil and the maximum roughness height after this process are found to be around 130 and 37.4 μm, respectively. Tensile and compressive regions present in the foil were detected by the birefringence technique and indicate the formation of structural defects such as dislocations during the process. Average minority carrier lifetimes around 28 μs were measured on n-type silicon foils after surface passivation by an iodine-ethanol solution. Photon conversion efficiencies of 12.6% and 13.4% are measured using conventional sun simulator (1-sun AM1.5G) and SINTON Suns-Voc setup systems, respectively.
Pierre Bellanger; Abdelilah Slaoui; Albert Minj; Roberto Martini; Maarten Debucquoy; Joao Serra. First Solar Cells on Exfoliated Silicon Foils Obtained at Room Temperature by the SLIM-Cut Technique Using an Epoxy Layer. IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics 2016, 6, 1115 -1122.
AMA StylePierre Bellanger, Abdelilah Slaoui, Albert Minj, Roberto Martini, Maarten Debucquoy, Joao Serra. First Solar Cells on Exfoliated Silicon Foils Obtained at Room Temperature by the SLIM-Cut Technique Using an Epoxy Layer. IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics. 2016; 6 (5):1115-1122.
Chicago/Turabian StylePierre Bellanger; Abdelilah Slaoui; Albert Minj; Roberto Martini; Maarten Debucquoy; Joao Serra. 2016. "First Solar Cells on Exfoliated Silicon Foils Obtained at Room Temperature by the SLIM-Cut Technique Using an Epoxy Layer." IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics 6, no. 5: 1115-1122.
The development of high temperature gas sensors for the monitoring and determination of thermophysical properties of complex process mixtures at high temperatures faces several problems, related with the materials compatibility, active sensing parts sensitivity, and lifetime. Ceramic/thin metal films based sensors, previously developed for the determination of thermal conductivity of molten materials up to 1200 °C, were redesigned, constructed, and applied for thermal conductivity measuring sensors. Platinum resistance thermometers were also developed using the same technology, to be used in the temperature measurement, which were also constructed and tested. A new data acquisition system for the thermal conductivity sensors, based on a linearization of the transient hot-strip model, including a portable electronic bridge for the measurement of the thermal conductivity in gas process conditions was also developed. The equipment is capable of measuring the thermal conductivity of gaseous phases with an accuracy of 2%-5% up to 840 °C (95% confidence level). The development of sensors up to 1200 °C, present at the core of the combustion chambers, will be done in a near future.
C. S. G. P. Queirós; Maria José Lourenço; S. I. Vieira; J. M. Serra; Carlos A. Nieto De Castro. New portable instrument for the measurement of thermal conductivity in gas process conditions. Review of Scientific Instruments 2016, 87, 065105 .
AMA StyleC. S. G. P. Queirós, Maria José Lourenço, S. I. Vieira, J. M. Serra, Carlos A. Nieto De Castro. New portable instrument for the measurement of thermal conductivity in gas process conditions. Review of Scientific Instruments. 2016; 87 (6):065105.
Chicago/Turabian StyleC. S. G. P. Queirós; Maria José Lourenço; S. I. Vieira; J. M. Serra; Carlos A. Nieto De Castro. 2016. "New portable instrument for the measurement of thermal conductivity in gas process conditions." Review of Scientific Instruments 87, no. 6: 065105.
José Silva; B. Platte; M.C. Brito; Joao Serra. New doping method to obtain n-type silicon ribbons. Journal of Crystal Growth 2015, 428, 29 -34.
AMA StyleJosé Silva, B. Platte, M.C. Brito, Joao Serra. New doping method to obtain n-type silicon ribbons. Journal of Crystal Growth. 2015; 428 ():29-34.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJosé Silva; B. Platte; M.C. Brito; Joao Serra. 2015. "New doping method to obtain n-type silicon ribbons." Journal of Crystal Growth 428, no. : 29-34.
Andre Augusto; Filipe Serra; Jorge M. Alves; António M. Vallêra; João M. Serra. Inline Optical CVD for Silicon Deposition at Low Temperature and Atmospheric Pressure. Energy Procedia 2015, 77, 551 -557.
AMA StyleAndre Augusto, Filipe Serra, Jorge M. Alves, António M. Vallêra, João M. Serra. Inline Optical CVD for Silicon Deposition at Low Temperature and Atmospheric Pressure. Energy Procedia. 2015; 77 ():551-557.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAndre Augusto; Filipe Serra; Jorge M. Alves; António M. Vallêra; João M. Serra. 2015. "Inline Optical CVD for Silicon Deposition at Low Temperature and Atmospheric Pressure." Energy Procedia 77, no. : 551-557.
Pierre Bellanger; Pierre-Olivier Bouchard; Marc Bernacki; João Serra. Room temperature thin foil SLIM-cut using an epoxy paste: experimental versus theoretical results. Materials Research Express 2015, 2, 1 .
AMA StylePierre Bellanger, Pierre-Olivier Bouchard, Marc Bernacki, João Serra. Room temperature thin foil SLIM-cut using an epoxy paste: experimental versus theoretical results. Materials Research Express. 2015; 2 (4):1.
Chicago/Turabian StylePierre Bellanger; Pierre-Olivier Bouchard; Marc Bernacki; João Serra. 2015. "Room temperature thin foil SLIM-cut using an epoxy paste: experimental versus theoretical results." Materials Research Express 2, no. 4: 1.
André Augusto; Filipe Serra; António Vallêra; João M. Serra. Silicon film deposition on crystalline, sintered and powder substrates using an inline optical processing CVD system. physica status solidi (c) 2014, 11, 1657 -1660.
AMA StyleAndré Augusto, Filipe Serra, António Vallêra, João M. Serra. Silicon film deposition on crystalline, sintered and powder substrates using an inline optical processing CVD system. physica status solidi (c). 2014; 11 (11-12):1657-1660.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAndré Augusto; Filipe Serra; António Vallêra; João M. Serra. 2014. "Silicon film deposition on crystalline, sintered and powder substrates using an inline optical processing CVD system." physica status solidi (c) 11, no. 11-12: 1657-1660.
International audienceWe present 5 × 5 cm2 SLIM-cut foils obtained by cooling form curing temperatures of 150 °C to room temperature using an epoxy stress inducing layer. Numerical simulations were performed to help the definition of an optimum geometry and we demonstrate the capability to obtain several thin foils from the same substrate. The evolution of minority carrier lifetime upon successive exfoliation of the same substrate is presented. Measured lifetimes in these silicon foils increase after etching suggesting that recombination centers are present close to the foil surface. Effective lifetimes of 50 microseconds were obtained in 120 µm thick foils, corresponding to diffusion length much larger than the foil thickness
Joao Serra; Pierre Bellanger; Pierre-Olivier Bouchard; Marc Bernacki. Room temperature kerfless silicon thin foils obtained via a stress inducing epoxy layer. physica status solidi (c) 2014, 11, 1644 -1647.
AMA StyleJoao Serra, Pierre Bellanger, Pierre-Olivier Bouchard, Marc Bernacki. Room temperature kerfless silicon thin foils obtained via a stress inducing epoxy layer. physica status solidi (c). 2014; 11 (11-12):1644-1647.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJoao Serra; Pierre Bellanger; Pierre-Olivier Bouchard; Marc Bernacki. 2014. "Room temperature kerfless silicon thin foils obtained via a stress inducing epoxy layer." physica status solidi (c) 11, no. 11-12: 1644-1647.
The SLIM-cut technique provides a way to obtain thin silicon foils without a standard sawing step, thus avoiding kerf losses. This process consists of three steps: depositing a stress-inducing layer on top of the silicon surface; stress activation by heating and cooling, resulting in crack propagation in the silicon and detachment of a thin silicon layer; and a chemical cleaning to remove the stress-inducing layer. This paper describes a new stress activation method using Ag/Al and epoxy stress-inducing layers. The crack propagation is controlled along the sample length in order to avoid unwanted additional crack formation and interaction with other crack fronts. Silicon foils with thickness ranging between 50 and 130 μm were obtained with effective lifetimes between 1 and 81 μs.
Pierre Bellanger; Miguel Centeno Brito; David M. Pera; Ivo Costa; Guilherme Gaspar; Roberto Martini; Marteen Debucquoy; João M. Serra. New Stress Activation Method for Kerfless Silicon Wafering Using Ag/Al and Epoxy Stress-Inducing Layers. IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics 2014, 4, 1228 -1234.
AMA StylePierre Bellanger, Miguel Centeno Brito, David M. Pera, Ivo Costa, Guilherme Gaspar, Roberto Martini, Marteen Debucquoy, João M. Serra. New Stress Activation Method for Kerfless Silicon Wafering Using Ag/Al and Epoxy Stress-Inducing Layers. IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics. 2014; 4 (5):1228-1234.
Chicago/Turabian StylePierre Bellanger; Miguel Centeno Brito; David M. Pera; Ivo Costa; Guilherme Gaspar; Roberto Martini; Marteen Debucquoy; João M. Serra. 2014. "New Stress Activation Method for Kerfless Silicon Wafering Using Ag/Al and Epoxy Stress-Inducing Layers." IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics 4, no. 5: 1228-1234.
An important factor for cost reduction of solar electricity is the reduction of silicon material quantity used for making a solar cell. It is well known in the PV industry that kerf losses associated with wafering are a limiting factor in the efforts to reduce material usage and some techniques have been developed to address this issue. The kerfless wafering technique described in this paper provides both things: a thin silicon layer foil while avoiding the sawing step. This technique consists of three steps: (i) dispensing a stress inducing layer on the silicon surface of a slab; (ii) thermal processing to activate the stress and detach a thin silicon layer of silicon; (iii) a chemical cleaning to obtain a flat thin foil of silicon. This technique was used with an epoxy stress inducing layer to obtain thin silicon foils, demonstrating for the first time the capability to obtain several foils out of the same substrate and using only room temperature cooling step, unlike other authors who used dipping in liquid nitrogen. The relationship between epoxy layer and foil thickness is presented, along with foils with bulk minority carrier lifetimes of 80μs
Pierre Bellanger; João Serra. Room Temperature Spalling of Thin Silicon Foils Using a Kerfless Technique. Energy Procedia 2014, 55, 873 -878.
AMA StylePierre Bellanger, João Serra. Room Temperature Spalling of Thin Silicon Foils Using a Kerfless Technique. Energy Procedia. 2014; 55 ():873-878.
Chicago/Turabian StylePierre Bellanger; João Serra. 2014. "Room Temperature Spalling of Thin Silicon Foils Using a Kerfless Technique." Energy Procedia 55, no. : 873-878.
I Costa; Miguel Brito; G Gaspar; Joao Serra; Jorge Maia Alves; A Vallêra. Electric molten zone crystallization of silicon wafers. Semiconductor Science and Technology 2013, 28, 1 .
AMA StyleI Costa, Miguel Brito, G Gaspar, Joao Serra, Jorge Maia Alves, A Vallêra. Electric molten zone crystallization of silicon wafers. Semiconductor Science and Technology. 2013; 28 (12):1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleI Costa; Miguel Brito; G Gaspar; Joao Serra; Jorge Maia Alves; A Vallêra. 2013. "Electric molten zone crystallization of silicon wafers." Semiconductor Science and Technology 28, no. 12: 1.