SBIR Phase I: Continuous Production of Crystalline Silicon Sheet (or wafer) for Solar Cell

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目旨在研究一种由高密度金属/合金液体和炉渣制成的新型熔融衬底的可行性，用于生产高太阳能质量的晶体硅晶圆。在这个创新的设计中，将使用熔融支撑系统，使熔融硅通过冷却漂浮和固化。浮子硅在凝固后可以作为高度有纹理的硅的结晶片连续取出。该项目的目标之一是开发可用于扩大规模和可行性研究的数学模型。这些模型可以反映凝固和结晶前沿的不稳定性。该研究将解决以下重要目标：a)平面凝固和单晶；b)新型三组分-三层硅晶化纯化工艺中的渣层测试；C)过程建模。该项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是连续生产单晶硅片，降低成本，提高效率。目前的太阳能技术，其中一些处于开发和商业化的后期阶段，是资本密集型的，每瓦峰值（WP）的成本并不低。该项目将展示所生产的材料是否具有生产高质量太阳能电池所需的特性。这一晶体硅晶圆生产的多阶段计划的完成将降低成本，吸引许多首次使用太阳能发电的用户，满足更大的国际市场的需求，并进一步帮助以更快的速度完成减少碳排放的任务。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project seeks to investigate the feasibility of a novel molten substrate fabricated from high-density liquids of metals/alloys and slags for producing high solar quality crystalline silicon wafer. In this innovative design a molten support system will be used to allow molten Silicon to float and solidify by cooling. Float silicon can then be continuously withdrawn as a crystalline sheet of highly textured Silicon upon solidification. One of the goals of the project is to develop mathematical models which can be used for scale-up and feasibility studies. These models can represent instability in solidification and crystallization front. The research will address the following important goals: a) planar solidification and mono-crystallization; b) testing of a slag layer in a novel three-component-three-layer process for the crystallization and purification of Silicon; c) process modeling.The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is the continuous production of single crystalline silicon wafers at reduced cost and with improved efficiency. The present solar technologies, some of them in advanced stage of development and commercialization, are capital-intensive and do not offer low cost per Watt-peak (WP). This project will show if the material produced has the properties needed to produce enhanced quality solar cells. Accomplishment of this multi-phase program for crystalline Silicon wafer productions would lower the cost and attract many first-time users to solar electricity, cater to the demands of the larger international market and further help accomplish the task of reducing carbon emission at a much faster rate.