August 28, 2007 — SAN DIEGO — RASIRC(TM), the steam purification company, will feature a low-cost, safe, highly effective system to produce ultrahigh-purity steam at the European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Exhibition in Milan, Italy, September 3-7, 2007.
RASIRC technology improves many processes within the solar industry:
- Passivation: eliminates hydrogen, reducing cost, reducing process time and improving safety
- Interlayer oxide films: reduces electron recombination
- Transparent conductive oxide: increases photon capture efficiency
- Backside thick oxide: relocation of front electrode
Ultra-pure steam is needed to form transparent conductive oxide to improve solar energy capture. Steam is being used to grow thermal oxides on the backside for current isolation when used with backside contacts and form isolation layers between films and annealing of films to reduce defects and improve cell efficiencies.
RASIRC’s steam purification system replaces pyrolytic torches in the production of water vapor from hydrogen and oxygen. Torches provide good process control, but have limitations such as startup time, particulate generation under long-term use, purchase price, and it requires an excess of O2M or H2 to insure complete combustion of one constituent.
RASIRC generates ultra-pure steam from deionized water, which is inexpensive, widely available, and doesn’t burn oxygen and hydrogen. A non-porous hydrophilic membrane selectively allows water vapor and steam to pass through it. Contaminants in water such as dissolved gases, ions, total organic carbons, particles, viruses, bacteria, pyrogens, and metals are removed from the purified steam.
RASIRC steamer technology is installed on a 300mm Tempress furnace at the Fraunhofer Institute. The Steamer generates backside oxidation to improve electrical isolation between contacts on the backside and ultimately to generate leading-edge efficiencies. “There is great potential for ultra-pure water vapor in the solar industry,” says Jeffrey Spiegelman, president of RASIRC. “We are looking forward to discussing these possibilities with innovators at the European Photovoltaic Conference.”
About RASIRC
RASIRC products purify and deliver ultra-pure liquids and gases. RASIRC technology is the first to generate ultrahigh-purity (UHP) steam from deionized water. It reduces cost, improves yield, and improves safety. UHP steam has many applications in the semiconductor, nanotechnology, photovoltaic manufacturing, and related industries. Call 858-259-1220, e-mail [email protected], or visit www.rasirc.com.