Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE
Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE

Research Projects

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  • NextTec – Contactless Performance Measurement for Solar Cells

    Next Generation PV Production Technologies for Increased Throughput

    Photoluminescence images of a partly shaded solar cell reveal defects in the metallization, among other features.
    © Fraunhofer ISE

    Photoluminescence images of a partly shaded solar cell reveal defects in the metallization, among other features.

    To mitigate threatening supply bottlenecks and reduce the manufacturing costs of silicon solar cells, a high production throughput is necessary - a decisive factor not only for PV expansion in Germany, but worldwide. A consortium led by Fraunhofer ISE has therefore developed a proof-of-concept for a future production line with a throughput of 15 000 to 20 000 wafers per hour as part of the "NextTec" project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Action (BMWK). This corresponds to at least a doubling of the throughput compared to currently used production systems. One focus of the work at Fraunhofer ISE has been the accelerated measurement of the current-voltage characteristic. | Duration: 05/2019 - 10/2022

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  • StroKoFo – Current Assisted Contact Formation of Metal-Semiconductor Contacts

    Performance data of two groups of solar cells with passivated emitter and rear: in blue the best group without StroKoFo treatment, in red the best group of the experiment with StroKoFo process, which increases the efficiency of the solar cells significantly, by 0.37%<sub>abs</sub>.
    © Fraunhofer ISE

    Performance data of two groups of solar cells with passivated emitter and rear: in blue the best group without StroKoFo treatment, in red the best group of the experiment with StroKoFo process, which increases the efficiency of the solar cells significantly, by 0.37%abs.

    The StroKoFo project focuses on an innovative process for forming or optimizing the metal-semiconductor contact of silicon solar cells (StroKoFo process), which is based on a different physical principle than the conventional firing process. | Duration: 02/2020 - 01/2023

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  • iPorSi – Development of Nano-Porous Silicon Layers in an Inline Process

    © Fraunhofer ISE

    Fig. 1: Structural investigations of cross-sections using the scanning electron microscope after etching (left) and reorganization (right).

    Project in the Business Area Photovoltaics; Topics: Silicon Photovoltaics, Emerging Photovoltaic Technologies; Fields of Work: Epitaxy, Si-Foils and SiC Deposition, Tandem Solar Cells on Crystalline Silicon; Duration: April 2014 - March 2015

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  • modulum – Novel Characterization Tool for Photovoltaics

    Measurement capabilities of the characterization tool modulum.
    © Fraunhofer ISE

    Measurement capabilities of the characterization tool modulum.

    Aiming at steadily reducing the levelized cost of electricity of PV power plants, state-of-the-art research and development in silicon photovoltaics must focus on material quality: This relates to feedstock quality, to the impact of the crystallization and wafering processes, and to the impact of the individual solar cell process on material quality. This focus requires accurate analysis techniques of efficiency-limiting electrical characteristics in all stages of solar cell production – ranging from crystallization to metallization. With “modulum”, Fraunhofer ISE launched a versatile characterization tool for accurate material and cell analyses based on harmonically modulated luminescence, thereby assisting customers in meeting future challenges in silicon PV research and development.

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