Indian Firm Devises Furnace That Can Help To Produce Efficient Solar Cells 

A Bangalore-based company with expertise in producing thin film and vacuum technology now claims to have made a revamped furnace that can aid in reducing the price of solar PV module manufacturing in the country and make efficient solar cells. 

The firm named Hind High Vacuum (HHV) has now made a “directional solidification (DSS) furnace.” The firm claimed that this technology aids in producing high-quality local ingots. These ingots later process silicon to make solar wafers and solar cells to make the solar modules finally. 

The firm said that this technology increases the performance of solar cells too. This furnace produces polycrystalline silicon ingots that undergo minimum loss while producing wafers. This higher yield also lowers the cost of solar wafers and cells. HHV’s DSS furnace also considers the possibility of any accidental breakage of the silica crucible, a critical component of the furnace. Breakage of this part can lead to long downtimes and costs to repair. The company said several safety functions are incorporated to protect the furnace against overpressure and malfunctioning.

“This also helps produce solar cells at lower cost, and solar modules made out of these will become more economical than the prevailing mono-C-Si modules. The DSS furnace is built to international standards with state-of-the-art PLCs, automatic controls and processing, mandatory safety features, and interlocks,” Nagarjun Sakhamuri, Managing Director, HHV said.   

This DSS furnace used polysilicon as its raw material. In the DSS furnace, the polysilicon is converted to Multi crystalline silicon, duly doped to make it a photosensitive semiconductor. The firm claimed that they had made this furnace for commercially producing it based on demands. It claimed that it has a 6 X6 block matrix, the most common size production tool used in the solar cell industry.

This Karnataka-based company is known for its thin film and vacuum technology company. The firm finds its place in multiple sectors, including Aerospace, Automotive and Defense, with its technological interventions.   

“The machine has been developed and it is ready for commercial launch. We can produce on demand. This machine was a capability demonstrator to establish that such equipment can be made in India at competitive prices and need not be imported,” the firm said in a statement. 

When asked about the relevance of multi-crystalline cells with the emergence of advanced technologies, the firm said, “We do understand that at this phase of technology evolution Multi crystalline solar cells are getting extinct considering prevailing and immediate available future technologies. But the journey of R&D must continue towards any breakthrough technology. Furthermore, these furnaces can produce mono-like poly with relevant niche applications. Technology to make Monocrystalline solar cells by the DSS process is under advanced research and breakthroughs are expected shortly,” the firm said.