Energy Conversion Devices公司旗下子公司Uni-Solar近日公布其技术路线图具体细节，拟于2012年将其电池转换率提至12%，同时将成本降至每瓦95美分。更重要的是，此次减本增效是通过改进原材料和优化生产工艺来实现的，并没有对电池的本质做出任何改变。这样就能确保2011年增产后的产品需求相对平稳。计划实行之初，Uni-Solar公司将在2010年内实现部分电池转换率达到8.2%，并且在2011年年底前实现约10%的转换率，并将设备满负荷运转时的生产成本降至每瓦1.5美元。
Energy Conversion Devices的总裁兼首席执行官马克·莫雷利(Mark Morelli)表示该公司使用公司的核心技术之后，电池的实验室转化率高达15.4%。而现在发展的重点是要将这一技术应用于批量生产，并最终将转换率提高至20%以上。"
United Solar Ovonic 公司主席Subhendu Guha表示，现阶段关键工艺的研发主要着眼于使用改良版的背面反光层来提高对于太阳光的捕捉率
在接受PV-Tech的采访时，Guha先生还指出，该公司的产品还使用了经过改进的非晶硅锗合金，这种合金能更有效地捕捉太阳光中的红光。此外，公司的等离子CVD [1]专利技术不仅能将生产线的吞吐量增加一倍，同时还能够在更大的区域内实现更均匀的材料沉积，这就使得电池表面在标准薄片[2]大小基础之上得以扩大，从而将长期以来6.7%的电池表面转换率进行进一步提高。
许多重要的连锁效应都预示着Uni-Solar公司将在不远的将来凭借降低单位生产成本和单位资本支出而获得利润。经过改良的CVD工艺将花费公司约1500至2000万美元，但同时也可即将产量提高约30MW。
Guha还表示，因为性能的提升和吞吐量的提高并不是由于工艺的复杂化而导致的，并且此次所制定的目标与此前所取得的成果相类似，因此，减本至每瓦95美分并增效至12%，同时保证产量的不断增长，这一目标在高利用率的批量生产条件下是可以实现的。
公司此次改进光吸收的技术，并不会导致光致降解，因此能在提高大幅提高转换率的同时保证电池性能的稳定性。
The subsidiary of Energy Conversion Devices, Uni-Solar, has detailed its technology roadmap, which is intended to push conversion efficiencies to 12% and a cost-per-watt of 95 cents by 2012. Importantly, the efficiency gains and cost reductions come from material improvements and process optimizations rather than fundamental cell changes, which should ensure a smooth demand driven production ramp in 2011. Initially, Uni-Solar is targeting area conversion efficiency gains to 8.2% in 2010 and by close of 2011 calendar year approximately 10%, with fully loaded production cost-per-watt of US$1.50.
“We are continuing to develop our technology by focusing on improving our conversion efficiency to 12% and beyond,” commented Mark Morelli, president and CEO of Uni-Solar’s parent company, Energy Conversion Devices. “We have demonstrated that our core technology is capable of conversion efficiency of 15.4% in the lab, and we are now focused on translating those results into commercial production volumes at 12% and ultimately improving the conversion efficiency to 20%-plus.”
Key process development has centred initially on improved light trapping using a significantly improved back-reflector layer, according to Subhendu Guha, executive VP of PV technology at ECD and chairman of United Solar Ovonic.
Speaking with PV-Tech, Guha also noted that an altogether superior a-Si/germanium alloy has been employed, which captures red light more effectively. A proprietary plasma CVD process not only doubles throughput but also offers greater deposition uniformity over a larger area, which in turn has enabled the cell surface area to be expanded on its standard laminate size, further boosting surface area efficiencies from the longstanding 6.7%.
Several important knock-on effects mean that Uni-Solar gains in a reduced cost-per-watt and capex-per-watt going forward. The upgraded CVD tools are expected to cost between US$15 and US$20 million, while boosting capacity by approximately 30MW.
Guha also noted that as the performance and manufacturing throughput gains are not a result of more complex processing, a target of 95 cents per watt with 12% efficiencies with continuous yield improvements, similar to those already achieved, was realistic in a high-volume, high-utilization environment.
The improved light absorption doesn’t involve light-induced degradation, creating robust efficiency gains as well as stability.
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