The current state of industrial process monitoring in the semiconductor industry in general, and in PV industry in particularly, is limited by the use of in-line inspection techniques such as computer vision, photoluminescence, X-ray fluorescence, reflectance, transmittance, and ellipsometry. While these techniques improve inspection capabilities during production, they fail to provide a fully comprehensive evaluation of complex optoelectronic devices such as thin film PV modules. For a more precise and detailed inspection of produced materials and devices, advanced methods such as Raman spectroscopy, time-resolved photoluminescence, external quantum efficiency measurements, and spatially resolved imaging are required. However, these techniques are often only available in advanced laboratories with slow response times, which are insufficient for meeting the rapid feedback requirements of industrial production.
Another key challenge is that measurements must be performed in a single location to obtain a complete picture of materials and devices properties. Currently the measurement information is fragmentated between various production steps and the reliance on off-line analysis of selected products limit the ability to fully optimize and evaluate the process, delaying defect detection and preventing timely adjustments of manufacturing parameters.
In many cases the current control of the fabrication process is focused on production parameters, like temperature, pressure, gas flow, and deposition rate, rather than on the final product quality. This hampers real-time detection and correction of defects, as deviations in process parameters do not always correlate with defects in the finished product. Additionally, managing large volumes of data generated during production is a significant challenge. Pre-established calibrations, which require specific optimization for each industrial process, involve high implementation time and cost, slowing the response to changes in production environments.
To overcome all these challenges development of a holistic system that combines real-time monitoring of process parameters and product quality at different production steps is crucial. This would enable early defect detection and more efficient production optimization, especially for third-generation PV technologies, which are highly sensitive to minor parameter variations. Real-time data processing and calibration adjustment are essential for competitive, efficient production that meets modern industry demands.
The Platform-ZERO project advances existing technologies by providing a comprehensive, real-time monitoring and control platform that integrates AI and advanced sensor technology, enabling dynamic responses to production anomalies and setting a new standard for manufacturing oversight.
