Monocrystalline silicon is used to manufacture high-performance photovoltaic panels. The quality requirements for monocrystalline solar panels are not very demanding. In this type of boards the demands on structural imperfections are less high compared to microelectronics applications. For this reason, lower quality silicon is used.
Monocrystalline silicon is the base material for silicon chips used in virtually all electronic equipment today. In the field of solar energy, monocrystalline silicon is also used to make photovoltaic cells due to its ability to absorb radiation.
Monocrystalline silicon is typically created by one of several methods that involve melting high-purity semiconductor-grade silicon and using a seed to initiate the formation of a continuous single crystal. This process is typically performed in an inert atmosphere, such as argon, and in an inert crucible, such as quartz.
The silicon solar cell has unprecedented flexibility, according to the paper. Measuring 60 micrometres, it can be folded like a sheet of paper. It can also withstand repeated bending, with a bend radius of less than 5 millimetres and bend angles exceeding 360 degrees. The researchers also conducted durability testing under different conditions.
Monocrystalline silicon cells can absorb most photons within 20 μm of the incident surface. However, limitations in the ingot sawing process mean that the commercial wafer thickness is generally around 200 μm. This type of silicon has a recorded single cell laboratory efficiency of 26.7%.
Monocrystalline cells are more expensive than polycrystalline cells. For this reason, mono-Si cells are useful for applications where the main considerations are weight or available area limitations. This type of panels are used, for example, in spacecraft or satellites powered by solar energy.