SBIR-STTR Award

The proposed SBIR Phase I program addresses a critical need in solar cell and fuel cell module manufacturing: to inspect in real time the mechanical quality of incoming wafers and finished cells. The objective of the program is to develop a new flaw inspection technology and design a laboratory prototype of an Activation Station (AS) system with follow-up industrial testing with the goal of reducing the cell breakage rate and contribute to improvement of cell process tolerances. Both industry segments represent quickly growing national and world-wide energy markets. To compete with traditional energy sources, both industries are driven by economic reasons to make modules of the highest conversion efficiency and greatest reliability at the lowest production cost. One of the current technological problems that face solar and fuel cell manufacturers is identification and elimination of sources of mechanical defects such as cracks, thermo-elastic stress, and micro-inclusions which lead to the loss of integrity in silicon wafer (solar cell) or ceramic plate (fuel cell) with ultimate in-line breakage of as-grown and processed wafers and cells. The problem is of increased concern in light of the current strategy of reducing cell substrate thickness down to 100 m in the long term, from the current range of 150 to 180 m. It is recognized that development of a methodology for fast in-line flaw detection and process control is required to match a few seconds per wafer throughput rate of typical cell production lines. State-of-the-art solar and fuel cell manufacturing is based on highly automated conveyor belt-type in-line configurations. Each production step requires a real-time feedbackincluding statistical data analysis with linkage to wafer/cell quality. The proposed innovation addresses a common solution for flaw inspection applicable to other high-throughput production. The inspection method is grounded on a novel methodology for advanced crack/flaw inspection using the Activation Station (AS) concept. The AS fundamentally relies on an accurately controlled mechanical strain profile applied to a substrate. Quantitative assessment of the materials elastic response in real time allows fast non-destructive monitoringof the substrates mechanical quality. A statistical analysis is applied to AS data collected in real-time. The primary target will be to search for hidden defects that are not revealed by traditional in-line techniques. When used in high volume production, the AS system will contribute to yield improvement and, as a consequence, energy and cost savings in the manufacturing sector. Development of the AS methodology requires both comprehensive experimental study and supporting computer modeling to justify a prototype development addressed in the proposed project. The project will be supported by analytical equipment including Scanning Acoustic Microscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy and Focused Ion Beam located at the University of South Florida. Acoustic imaging and computer modeling will be performed by professional consultants.

The proposed SBIR Phase IIB project addresses a critical need in solar cells and modules manufacturing: to inspect in real time the mechanical quality of silicon wafers and cells. The overall goal of the entire SBIR project is to transfer the in-line Activation Station (AS) technology from the laboratory level through design, manufacturing and field testing of the AS pre-production prototype. Based on feedback from commercial customers the required improvements in the laboratory AS prototype were identified as keys to commercialize the AS tool. Specific objectives of the Phase IIB include: (1) upgrade the AS tool hardware to improve AS reliability, accuracy and maintenance, (2) upgrade AS tool operational software to allow hand shaking with in-line commercial equipment, (3) improve throughput and insure AS applicability to different shapes and types of silicon substrates, and (4) integrate AS tool in the solar module production line. By completing Phase IIB project the AS technology will progress from the current Technology Readiness Level TRL5 to TRL7. Silicon solar module technology represents a quickly growing national and world- wide energy market. One of the current technological problems that face solar module manufacturers is identification and elimination of sources of mechanical defects such as sub-millimeter length seed cracks which lead to the loss of integrity in a silicon wafer or solar cell and their ultimate in-line breakage. The problem is of increased concern in light of the current strategy of reducing cell substrate thickness down to 100 µm in the long term, from the current range of 150 to 180 µm. The inspection method is grounded on a novel methodology for advanced crack inspection using the AS concept integrated with Resonance Ultrasonic Vibration system. The AS fundamentally relies on an accurately controlled mechanical stress applied to a substrate and measurement of the elastic force response. The research program is based on proven feasibility obtained in Phase I, which established that: (i) the AS method is applicable to both silicon solar and ceramic fuel cells; (ii) the method sensitivity depends on crack location and covers up to 96% of the wafer area supported by computer modeling; (iii) the speed of AS components can be matched to a throughput of production lines. In Phase II, the following tasks were completed: (a) AS tool configuration (system’s component hardware and software) optimized, (b) laboratory AS tool integrated into automatic Resonance Ultrasonic Vibrations system, (c) statistical algorithm for crack inspection developed and implemented in the tool’s software, and (d) the in-line AS prototype tested in solar module and fuel cell production with statistically verified yield improvement.