Process monitoring in solar cell manufacturing

In this paper, the authors describe a new method that is capable of on-line monitoring of several solar cell process steps such as texturing, AR coatings, and metal contact properties. The measurement technique is rapid and specifically designed for solar cells and wafers. The system implementing this new concept is named ''PV Reflectometer.'' The idea was originally conceived several years ago and the principle of the method has been demonstrated for some simple cases. Recently, this method has been improved to be more suitable for commercial applications. For completeness, the paper first includes a brief review of the process control requirements and the common monitoring methods in solar cell production.