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Content archived on 2024-05-29

Upgrading Semiconductor Silicon Wafers to Manufacture cheap solar cells (UPSSIM)

Objective

The European microelectronic industry produces scrap wafers. From such scrap materials, it is possible to reprocess the silicon materials to make it suitable for current solar cell manufacturing processes. Yet, this reprocessing facility has to face 2 main issues:
Scrap wafer reprocessing implies that all the reprocessed wafers are tested throughout the reprocessing steps, in order to make sure that any failing wafer with respect to solar energy recovery is discarded as early as possible from the reprocessing cycle: it is therefore of paramount importance to have a cheap and reliable test machine capable of wafer testing at rates typical of the European production rate (say at least one million of scrap wafers per year).
Scrap wafer reprocessing is based on two competing techniques : layer stripping processes to get rid of any spurious material which was implemented during the early wafer manufacturing process, mechanical stripping techniques (grinding, lapping, sanding) which can be complementary candidates to clean off the silicon wafers before processing Under the administrative and scientific coordination of IMEC, a consortium of five European SMEs - VEGATEC, EICHHORN HAUSMANN,ENGCOTEC, TFM Solar Photovoltaic and SEI-SISTEMI INTEGRATI - propose to contract a SME which has performed preliminary work on reprocessing CROSS TECHNOLOGIES, together with the Slovak Technical University, in order to optimize a prototype reprocessing process.
The main challenges are to verify that: oth p-doped and n-doped waste wafers can be reprocessed to manufacture solar cells with solar energy recovery figures ranging from 10 to 15 % both 100 and 111 crystals can be reprocessed as well solar panel performances can meet some market demands for solar energy in Europe. A successful completion of this research project will impact solar cell manufacturing out of reclaimed silicon wafers processes and, therefore, the European solar panel manufacturing industry.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

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Topic(s)

Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.

Call for proposal

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FP6-2002-SME-1
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Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

COOPERATIVE -

Coordinator

INTERUNIVERSITAIR MICRO-ELECTRONICA CENTRUM
EU contribution
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Address
Kapeldreef 75
LEUVEN
Belgium

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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

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Participants (7)

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