Energy Conversion Devices公司旗下子公司Uni-Solar近日公布其技術(shù)路線圖具體細(xì)節(jié)，擬于2012年將其電池轉(zhuǎn)換率提至12%，同時將成本降至每瓦95美分。更重要的是，此次減本增效是通過改進原材料和優(yōu)化生產(chǎn)工藝來實現(xiàn)的，并沒有對電池的本質(zhì)做出任何改變。這樣就能確保2011年增產(chǎn)后的產(chǎn)品需求相對平穩(wěn)。計劃實行之初，Uni-Solar公司將在2010年內(nèi)實現(xiàn)部分電池轉(zhuǎn)換率達到8.2%，并且在2011年年底前實現(xiàn)約10%的轉(zhuǎn)換率，并將設(shè)備滿負(fù)荷運轉(zhuǎn)時的生產(chǎn)成本降至每瓦1.5美元。

    Energy Conversion Devices的總裁兼首席執(zhí)行官馬克?莫雷利(Mark Morelli)表示該公司使用公司的核心技術(shù)之后，電池的實驗室轉(zhuǎn)化率高達15.4%。而現(xiàn)在發(fā)展的重點是要將這一技術(shù)應(yīng)用于批量生產(chǎn)，并最終將轉(zhuǎn)換率提高至20%以上。"

    United Solar Ovonic 公司主席Subhendu Guha表示，現(xiàn)階段關(guān)鍵工藝的研發(fā)主要著眼于使用改良版的背面反光層來提高對于太陽光的捕捉率 
    在接受PV-Tech的采訪時，Guha先生還指出，該公司的產(chǎn)品還使用了經(jīng)過改進的非晶硅鍺合金，這種合金能更有效地捕捉太陽光中的紅光。此外，公司的等離子CVD [1]專利技術(shù)不僅能將生產(chǎn)線的吞吐量增加一倍，同時還能夠在更大的區(qū)域內(nèi)實現(xiàn)更均勻的材料沉積，這就使得電池表面在標(biāo)準(zhǔn)薄片[2]大小基礎(chǔ)之上得以擴大，從而將長期以來6.7%的電池表面轉(zhuǎn)換率進行進一步提高。
    許多重要的連鎖效應(yīng)都預(yù)示著Uni-Solar公司將在不遠的將來憑借降低單位生產(chǎn)成本和單位資本支出而獲得利潤。經(jīng)過改良的CVD工藝將花費公司約1500至2000萬美元，但同時也可即將產(chǎn)量提高約30MW。
    Guha還表示，因為性能的提升和吞吐量的提高并不是由于工藝的復(fù)雜化而導(dǎo)致的，并且此次所制定的目標(biāo)與此前所取得的成果相類似，因此，減本至每瓦95美分并增效至12%，同時保證產(chǎn)量的不斷增長，這一目標(biāo)在高利用率的批量生產(chǎn)條件下是可以實現(xiàn)的。
    公司此次改進光吸收的技術(shù)，并不會導(dǎo)致光致降解，因此能在提高大幅提高轉(zhuǎn)換率的同時保證電池性能的穩(wěn)定性。

The subsidiary of Energy Conversion Devices, Uni-Solar, has detailed its technology roadmap, which is intended to push conversion efficiencies to 12% and a cost-per-watt of 95 cents by 2012. Importantly, the efficiency gains and cost reductions come from material improvements and process optimizations rather than fundamental cell changes, which should ensure a smooth demand driven production ramp in 2011. Initially, Uni-Solar is targeting area conversion efficiency gains to 8.2% in 2010 and by close of 2011 calendar year approximately 10%, with fully loaded production cost-per-watt of US$1.50.

“We are continuing to develop our technology by focusing on improving our conversion efficiency to 12% and beyond,” commented Mark Morelli, president and CEO of Uni-Solar’s parent company, Energy Conversion Devices. “We have demonstrated that our core technology is capable of conversion efficiency of 15.4% in the lab, and we are now focused on translating those results into commercial production volumes at 12% and ultimately improving the conversion efficiency to 20%-plus.”

Key process development has centred initially on improved light trapping using a significantly improved back-reflector layer, according to Subhendu Guha, executive VP of PV technology at ECD and chairman of United Solar Ovonic.

Speaking with PV-Tech, Guha also noted that an altogether superior a-Si/germanium alloy has been employed, which captures red light more effectively. A proprietary plasma CVD process not only doubles throughput but also offers greater deposition uniformity over a larger area, which in turn has enabled the cell surface area to be expanded on its standard laminate size, further boosting surface area efficiencies from the longstanding 6.7%.

Several important knock-on effects mean that Uni-Solar gains in a reduced cost-per-watt and capex-per-watt going forward. The upgraded CVD tools are expected to cost between US$15 and US$20 million, while boosting capacity by approximately 30MW.

Guha also noted that as the performance and manufacturing throughput gains are not a result of more complex processing, a target of 95 cents per watt with 12% efficiencies with continuous yield improvements, similar to those already achieved, was realistic in a high-volum