Evonik launches new process additives in China to improve PV wafer cutting quality
Views：1001 Updated：2022-05-20
• Launch of TEGO® Surten E, a range of process additives for the photovoltaic industry, in China
• Contributes to faster and better dicing of photovoltaic wafers, increasing the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of solar energy
• Further expansion of Evonik's additive portfolio for renewable energy applications
Evonik, the world's leading specialty chemicals company, has launched a new product portfolio of TEGO® Surten E process additives for the Chinese market, which can improve the quality and efficiency of photovoltaic wafer cutting, thereby improving the overall performance and production efficiency of photovoltaic modules.
Several countries, including China, have announced carbon neutrality goals. How to make better use of renewable energy and reduce its production costs is increasingly important. As we all know, solar energy is one of the mainstream green energy sources. Since the introduction of government subsidy measures in 2011, China now plays an important role in global PV power generation and PV system/module production.
However, whether photovoltaic power generation has an advantage in cost compared with other energy sources is still one of the decisive factors affecting the future development of the industry. Therefore, photovoltaic module manufacturers are constantly seeking solutions to improve the photoelectric conversion efficiency of cells while reducing production costs.
Diamond wire (DWS) cutting is one of the key steps in the photovoltaic cell production process, and cutting fluids using traditional surfactants are difficult to meet the needs of today's cutting-edge high-performance cutting processes: inefficient chip removal capabilities and diamond wire coatings Degradation can cause deep incision lines and concave lines, which not only affect the quality of the silicon wafer itself, but also lead to the formation of large crystals in the later texturing and diffusion steps, thereby reducing the surface area of the silicon wafer for collecting photons and reducing the photoelectric conversion efficiency of the cell.
“Evonik’s new TEGO® Surten E series for the photovoltaic industry further expands its portfolio of additives for the renewable energy sector,” said Dr. Benjamin Brehmer, Global Product Manager Energy and Storage, Evonik’s Interface & Functional Chemicals business line. "Additives can significantly improve the quality and speed of PV wafer dicing, contributing to carbon neutrality goals."
The TEGO® Surten E series of wetting agents and defoamers balances dynamic and static surface tension for effective and durable chip removal. Adding a small amount of TEGO® Surten E product to the cutting fluid formulation can achieve better cut quality ratios on larger M12 wafers at higher cutting speeds and smaller wire diameters. By increasing the yield of A+ grade wafer products, the high-cost post-processing process required after wafer dicing can also be greatly reduced, thereby improving the cost-effectiveness of the production process. At the same time, with the optimized cutting fluid formulation of Evonik products, uniform cutting quality of larger silicon wafers can be achieved, thereby greatly increasing photovoltaic power generation.
In addition, the ideal wetting properties of TEGO® Surten E products improve the overall cooling properties of the cutting fluid, allowing it to be recycled even under extreme operating conditions. This advantage helps to make diamond wire more durable, perform better, and improve the overall efficiency and sustainability of the cutting process.
As process aids, TEGO® Surten E series surfactants are also suitable for many new applications in photovoltaics, such as helping to create more uniform, higher quality anti-reflective coatings, as well as providing other technical surface modifications to improve overall power generation.
As the industry is facing transformation and the requirements for cutting processes are becoming more and more stringent, Evonik is committed to working with local customers and partners to meet the needs of individual formulations.
