PVA TePla AG reaches significant cost reduction for silicon crystals

Wettenberg, Germany - PVA TePla AG

The multipulling method is a technology with which several silicon crystals can be manufactured from a single process cycle using a recharging unit. With this method, customers in the highly price-driven solar industry can significantly reduce their production costs for crystals from which solar wafers are produced in a further process step.

For multipulling, PVA TePla offers two different recharging units for different types and sizes of polysilicon raw material: a mobile Si charger - the Mobile Recharging System (MRS) - and a stationary feeder - the Fixed Charging System (FCS). Existing systems on the market can be fitted with these accessories, and the multipulling process with at least two crystals per cycle can be introduced along with customer-specific training. Key aspects of this technology were tested with the involvement of project partners in the photovoltaics industry as part of the Solar Valley research project "Optimization of the Czochralski method for manufacturing monocrystalline silicon with regard to lower costs and thinner wafers (CzSil)." The recharging unit is characterized by a compact design, high process accuracy and user-friendliness with an intuitive user interface. Compared with alternative crystal-growing systems, such as the continuous Czochralski method, multipulling is less complex, thus delivering much greater process stability as well as significantly improved economic efficiency in large-scale production for the solar industry.

Source: IWR Online, 18 Feb 2013