GOALI: Laser Scribing of Multilayer Thin Films in Solar Cells: Defect Formation and Mitigation

该资助机会学术联络与产业（GOALI）赠款提供资金的缺陷形成机制的调查和缺陷缓解方法的多层薄膜光伏电池的玻璃侧激光划片过程的发展，旨在更好地了解缺陷对太阳能电池性能的影响，并提高太阳能电池的效率。基于微爆炸机制的玻璃（基板）侧的激光划线已经导致提高的划线质量。 然而，在划线期间形成的缺陷并没有完全减轻，并且使太阳能电池板无法达到更高的效率。该项目的目标是使用基本方法显著推进多层薄膜太阳能电池玻璃侧激光划片工艺的知识状态。通过实验和数值研究，缺陷将被系统地表征，它们的形成机制将被阐明，并且基于它们对太阳能电池电性能的影响的缺陷缓解问题将被更好地理解。 开发的预测能力将有助于探索和优化划片工艺。该项目的成功预计将通过减少缺陷的形成，从而降低生产成本，提高太阳能电池板与替代能源的竞争力，从而大大提高太阳能电池的应用。私家侦探？从一个重要的工业合作伙伴的大力支持，可以导致快速实施商业太阳能电池板的发展知识，具有广泛的社会影响。所获得的激光划片工艺的基本理解将广泛适用于薄膜太阳能电池中的其他吸收体和接触层材料。实验和数值研究也将有利于其他应用，如利用基于微爆炸的激光剥离工艺的LED和光学掩模的制造。

This Grant Opportunities for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI) grant provides funding for the investigation of defect formation mechanisms and the development of a defect mitigation approach for the glass-side laser scribing process of multilayer thin-film photovoltaic cells, aiming to better understand the influence of defects on solar cell properties and increase solar cell efficiency. Laser scribing from the glass (substrate) side, based on a micro-explosion mechanism, has led to increased scribe quality. Defects formed during scribing, however, are not entirely alleviated and keep solar panels from reaching higher efficiencies. The goal of this project is to significantly advance the state of knowledge in the glass-side laser scribing process of multilayer thin film solar cells using a fundamental approach. Via experimental and numerical investigations, defects will be systematically characterized, their formation mechanisms will be elucidated and issues in defect mitigation based on their influence on solar cell electrical properties will be better understood. The developed predictive capabilities will facilitate both exploration and optimization of scribing processes.The success of this project is expected to lead to substantial enhancement in solar cell applications through reductions in defect formation resulting in reduced production costs and greater competitiveness of solar panels with alternate energy sources. The PI?s strong support from a key industrial partner could lead to rapid implementation of the developed knowledge in commercial solar cell panels with broad societal impact. The acquired fundamental understanding of the laser scribing process will be widely applicable to other absorber and contact layer materials in thin-film solar cells. Both experimental and numerical investigations will also benefit other applications such as the fabrication of LEDs and optical masks which utilize micro-explosion-based laser lift-off processes.