ITER Photovoltaics Laboratory
ITER’s Photovoltaic Laboratory, known as SiCell Lab, is a state-of-the-art scientific-technological infrastructure designed to contribute to the development and strengthening of new manufacturing techniques for photovoltaic cells based on crystalline silicon and new materials. Its dimensions and modular nature give it flexibility and adaptability to new processes, such as research with new materials for use in photovoltaic technologies.
The main lines of research have been developed in the field of photovoltaic cells based on crystalline silicon. In addition, a new line of research has been initiated based on the study of emerging materials and more specifically those that, due to their crystalline structure, are called perovskites.
In order to be able to evaluate and analyze each of the phases of the construction process, the laboratory is designed as a scale system for an industrial production line, where the manufacturing and characterization processes of the devices can be carried out. The infrastructure has two work spaces, one for the manufacture of photovoltaic cells (ISO7 Clean Room) and the other for their characterization.
This laboratory is being optimized within the framework of the MACLAB-PV project “Improvement of R&D&I capacities and infrastructures in the renewable energy and energy efficiency sector in the Canary Islands and Senegal”, co-financed by the INTERREG MAC 2014-2020 Program.
Laboratory equipment:
Manufacturing Laboratory – Clean Room
The ISO 7 clean room (class 10,000) has a total area of 65m2 and is equipped as follows:
- System for cleaning and texturizing substrates. Chemical bench – Achiever, MEI.
- Ultrasonic bath. ULTRASONS-HD, JP Selecta.
- Production and supply of pure water type II (E-POD) and ultra-pure water type I (Q-POD). Milli Q-Integral 3, Millipore.
- Spin-On deposition system. HD 300, SPS poles.
- Rapid thermal process diffusion furnace. TM 100BT, LPT THERMPROZESS.
- Baking chain oven. Hengli, Torrey Hills Technologies, LLC.
- Muffle furnace. CWF 11/13, Carbolite.
- Drying oven. Conterm 19, JP Selecta.
- Open chamber PECVD system for chemical vapor deposition. Vision 300 MK II, Advanced Vacuum.
- Screen printing system for printing metal contacts. 485 – Screen Printer, HMI.
- Three roll mill. ESG65, Shanghai Espread.
Characterization Laboratory
The characterization laboratory has a total area of 110m2 and the following equipment:
- Spectral Response System. PVE 300, Bentham.
- Fluorimeter optical system. FLUOROSENS M11, Gilden Photonics.
- Ellipsometer. ESM-300, J.A. Woollam.
- Microwave photocurrent decay measurement device (MWPCD). WT-2000PVN, Semilab.
- Semiconductor characterization system. SCS-4200, Keithley.
- Pulsed laser kit with 2D processing scanner and opto-mechanical components. Powerlase.
Auxiliary equipment
- Air conditioning and filtering system.
- Particle counting system.
- Closed water circuit system with chiller.
- Deionized water recirculation system.
- Evacuation system for corrosive liquids.
- Compressed air distribution line.
- Distribution line of 2% Silane gas mixture and Nitrogen (cabinet gas).
- Distribution line of 20% oxygen gas mixture and tetrafluormethane.
- Nitrogen gas distribution line of 99.9980 % (technical).
- Nitrogen gas distribution line of 99.9995 % (ultrapure).
- Nitrogen Protoxide gas distribution line.
- Ammonia gas distribution line.
- Toxic gas abatement system.
- High temperature gas extraction system.
- Toxic gas extraction system.
Virtual Tour of the Photovoltaic Lab – SiCell Lab
Get to know this scientific-technical infrastructure of ITER thanks to this virtual didactic tool developed within the framework of the MACLAB-PV project “Improvement of R&D&I capacities and infrastructures in the renewable energy and energy efficiency sector in the Canary Islands and Senegal”, co-financed by the INTERREG MAC 2014-2020 Program.
Links of interest:
