SERIS runs two photovoltaic R&D pilot lines: one for silicon wafer solar cells, the other for silicon thin-film solar cells. Both lines are housed in the 1 000 m² fully-serviced class 10 000 cleanroom laboratory. The lines are open for R&D and service contracts with industry partners.

Typical services are:

(i) the processing of test wafers into solar cells

(ii) partial processing of solar cells

(iii) layer deposition for silicon thin-film solar cells (including dielectric films and transparent conductive oxides) and

(iv) layer deposition for non-PV applications

The silicon wafer pilot line is based on industry-scale process tools with capabilities to process industry-size monocrystalline and multicrystalline silicon wafers into solar cells. Due to its flexible configuration, the pilot line also has capabilities for other silicon wafer solar cell structures, including selective-emitter cells, n-type cells, heterojunction cells, and others. The line also has access to a suite of state-of-the-art PV characterisation tools at SERIS. 

The R&D pilot line for silicon thin-film solar cells is designed for glass substrates with a size of up to A3 (300 mm × 400 mm). The line has capabilities for:

• Amorphous thin-film silicon cells

• Microcrystalline thin-film silicon cells

• Polycrystalline thin-film silicon cells

• Amorphous/microcrystalline thin-film silicon tandem cells

In addition to the two pilot lines, an area of approximately 110 m² in the cleanroom is reserved specifically for industry for test-bedding.  This space has excellent access, a ceiling height of 8 metres and a high floor loading capability. This allows testing of novel PV production equipment in conjunction with our pilot lines.

For further information, please contact:

Dr Matthew BORELAND

Deputy Cluster Director,

SERIS, Silicon Photovoltaics Cluster

Email: matt.boreland@nus.edu.sg