09/11/2017 Discover How Solar Panels Are Made | SolarWorld

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Solar Energy 101

How We Make Solar Panels

Step 1: Crystal growing Step 2: Wafering Step 3: Solar cell production Step 4: Solar panel assembly

A silicon crystal must change shape several times before it winds up as the precisely calibrated wafers that form
the foundations of photovoltaic cells.

Cutting

First, a saw cuts o the crystals so-called top and tail, so that a crystal of uniform width remains. Typically,
wafering saws draw thin wire bearing a liquid abrasive across the crystals surface. (Below, a machine mounted
with a giant donutlike steel blade does the cutting.) Wire saws also cut the crystal into ingots measuring 2 feet or
less. Steel holders are mounted on the ends of these ingots for the next step.

Squaring

Mounted ingots are placed standing on end in a rack bearing 16 at a time inside another wireslicing machine.
There, wire running in a lattice con guration descends on the ingots to shear o four rounded segments, leaving
at sides. The result: The ingots now have a square crosssection, except for still-rounded corners.

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09/11/2017 Discover How Solar Panels Are Made | SolarWorld

Slicing

The next wire saw is more intricate yet. A wire winding hundreds of times between two cylindrical drums forms a
web of parallel, tightly spaced segments. As the wire unspools through the machine, ingots mounted sideways on
glass and metal holders are pressed two at a time through the wire web, slicing them into the thickness of slim
business cards. Each millimeter of crystal yields about 21/2 wafers. Detached from their holders, the wafers are
loaded into carriers, or boats, for transport to the next step.

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