Expertise in Solar & Semiconductor
Our experience in both Solar and Semiconductor industries gives us abundant inventory of knowledge that can be transferred from Semiconductor Crystal Growth and Wafering to Solar Crystal Growth and Wafering
Solar Value Chain
- Polysilicon Production: Silicon containing gases (TCS or silane) are produced from impure Mg-Si and Solid polysilicon is produced by extracting silicon from TCS in the Siemens reactors or from silane in the FBR. Key members of RSOLEC’s team have deep expertise in making electronic and solar grade polysilicon by the Siemens Process as well as the FBR process. We led the development of the FBR process.
- Crystal Growth : Solid polysilicon is melted and solidified again to produce single crystals by the CZ process. This process requires a high level of skills from both operators and engineers
- Our leaders pioneered many developments in the Czochralski and Continuous Czochralski Processes. They also created rich IP on Defect Engineered Crystals. Deep experience in Magnetic Czochralski process to control the quality of crystals is also our advantage.
- Solar Crystal Puller Hot-Zone, Control platforms, and Process Design are derivatives of more than 60 years semiconductor Crystal Growth and Wafering processes. There are many concepts proven in the semiconductor industry directly transferable to the solar industry.
- Wafering: Single crystals are sliced by the DCW process to produce silicon wafers. RSOLEC’s leadership developed and introduced DCW process for solar brick slicing more than 15 years ago.
- Solar Cells: Single Crystal silicon solar cells are produced by the TOPCon/PERC/HJT processes. RSOLEC has deep expertise in all relevant solar cell technologies, including TOPCon and HJT.
- Solar Modules: Cells are assembled in Modules by stringing and tabbing in a simple process. Key leaders of RSOLEC developed and introduced various module configurations including half-cut cell module, shingled module, and many other variants.
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Emerging Technologies : RSOLEC’s leadership has deep experience in technologies to make wafers from chemical vapor deposition.
RSOLEC is working on many other proprietary technologies
Semiconductor Value Chain
- Polysilicon Production: Key members of RSOLEC’s team have deep expertise in making electronic grade polysilicon by the Siemens Process as well as the FBR process. We were involved in the development of the FBR process.
- Crystal Growth: Our leaders pioneered many developments in the Czochralski and Continuous Czochralski Processes. They also created rich IP on Defect Engineered Crystals. Deep experience in Magnetic Czochralski process to control the quality of crystals is also our advantage.
- Wafering Processes: Sliced wafers are either ground or lapped and then etched. Etched wafers are polished either in double side or single side polishers. Polished wafers can be sold for certain applications directly. RSOLEC’s leadership has many years of experience in slurry slicing, acid and caustic etching, lapping, polishing and chemical cleaning processes to make semiconductor wafers
- CVD and Silicon Epitaxy: For many other applications, a layer of silicon is deposited on the polished wafer by a chemical vapor deposition process. This is known as silicon epitaxy. RSOLEC has deep expertise in bulk CVD applied in the Siemens process, controlled CVD used in silicon epitaxy, rapid CVD applied in the production of innovative products.
- Composite structures like silicon on insulators (SOI) are also produced using silicon wafers to gain certain advantages in device making
- Thermal Processes: The key members of the team have in-depth knowledge of all relevant thermal processes, including RTP and annealing for defect control.
Exporeto the Semiconductor Value Chain
We have leaders with deep experience in the Semiconductor Wafer Value Chain:
- Silicon containing gases (TCS and then silane) are produced from impure mg-Si
- Solid polysilicon is produced by extracting silicon from TCS or silane in the Siemens process or the FBR process
- Solid polysilicon is melted and solidified again to produce single crystals by the CZ process
- Single crystals are sliced by the wire saw using a slurry to produce silicon wafers.
- Sliced wafers are either ground or lapped and then etched
- Etched wafers are polished either in double side or single side polishers. Polished wafers can be sold for certain applications directly.
- For many other applications, a layer of silicon is deposited on the polished wafer by a chemical vapor deposition process. This is known as silicon epitaxy.
- Composite structures like silicon on insulators (SOI) are also produced using silicon wafers to gain certain advantages in device making.
