Optimised/Alternative Silicon Growth Technologies (from either liquid or gaseous phase) for PV Applications
Funds consortiums including a silicon wafer manufacturer to develop cheaper, lower-energy ways to grow silicon ingots and wafers for solar cells.
This is a single-stage Horizon Europe Innovation Action, implementing the co-programmed European Partnership for Innovation in Photovoltaics (EUPI-PV), funded as a lump sum with two grants expected from an EUR 18,000,000 pot, each worth EUR 9,000,000. The topic exists because crystalline-silicon solar cells have already reached efficiencies close to 27%, near their theoretical ceiling, so further …
The call wants innovation actions that develop alternative, scalable processes for growing crystalline silicon ingots and wafers — from either liquid or gaseous phase, including kerfless growth methods — at lower cost, energy and material use than standard directional-solidification or Czochralski processes, or that optimise existing processes for defect reduction, larger diameters, kerf recycling and use of recycled silicon.
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