Roland Einhaus

NICE module technology - From the concept to mass production: A 10 years review

Apollon Solars NICE (New Industrial Solar Cell Encapsulation) module technology is an innovative technology to encapsulate and electrically interconnect solar The electrical series connection is made using an under-pressure in the module allowing the front and back glasses to press the copper ribbons directly onto the cell busbars. Contrary to standard modules, NICE modules do not use EVA-like encapsulants. Instead a PIB (Poly-Isobutylene) edge sealing is used to provide a barrier for moisture ingress. This paper proposes a full overview of this technology from its concept to the final 60-cells module product.

Increase in efficiency and material yield by use of PECVD silicon nitride in a simple screen printing process on Solarex material [solar cells]

This work presents a simple screen printing solar cell process based on firing the front contacts through a silicon nitride (SiN/sub x/) layer deposited by direct plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD). This processing sequence of only six steps results in an excellent front surface and bulk passivation. Efficiency improvements up to 1.5% compared to a state-of-the art processing sequence were obtained on Solarex multicrystalline material. Independently confirmed efficiencies of almost 16% were reached. First indications of the excellent passivation quality of SiN/sub x/ deposited by direct PECVD on p-Si are given.