EAGER: New Concept for Low Cost, High Throughput Inspection for Cracks in PV Manufacturing

这一早期概念探索性研究奖的研究目标是验证用于光伏制造的薄晶硅晶片表面检测的新概念。新的高风险想法涉及使用位于振动硅片移动装配线上方的多个电容式传感器，以及传感器的电气输出，这些传感器将用于产生表面的静电图像，揭示裂纹。该方法可以快速、高精度地进行裂纹检测。该方法将设计和建造一条使用超声波传输方法的装配线，建立一个电容式(开尔文)探头的线性阵列，晶圆将在其下移动，并开发利用电信号创建晶片静电表面图的方法。如果成功，对社会的好处将是使光伏更容易被接受，并通过描述一种低成本和高产量的硅片检测系统来减少美国对石油的需求。这项研究将展示如何降低使用硅片制造光伏设备的成本，剔除会破裂的晶片。光伏电池的可靠性将提高，组件成本将降低，商业和住宅屋顶组件的寿命将增加。

The research objectives of this EArly-concept Grants for Exploratory Research award are to validate a new concept in surface inspection of thin crystalline silicon wafers of the type used in photovoltaic manufacturing. The new high risk ideas involve the use of multiple capacitive sensors situated above a moving assembly line of vibrating silicon wafers and the electrical output of the sensors to be used to create electrostatic images of the surface, revealing cracks. This method of detecting cracks can be done rapidly and to high precision. The approach will be to design and build an assembly line that uses ultrasonic transport methods, build a linear array of capacitive (Kelvin) probes under which the wafers will move, and develop methods to use the electrical signals to create electrostatic surface maps of the wafers.If successful, the benefits to society will be to make photovoltaics more acceptable and decrease the U.S. need for oil by providing a description of a silicon wafer inspection system that will be low cost and high throughput. This research will show how the cost of manufacturing photovoltaic devices using silicon wafers can be reduced, weeding out wafers that will fracture. The reliability of photovoltaic cells will increase, the module costs will decrease and the life of modules on commercial and residential rooftops will increase.