Shimadzu offers testing solutions for photovoltaic manufacturing processes and research and development that contributes to higher conversion efficiencies, reliability and yields from solar cells.
The analytical instruments can evaluate materials and provide quality control for photovoltaic cells and modules during the manufacturing process.
This includes testing of first-, second- and third-generation photovoltaic cells created from silicon and non-silicon material such as polycrystalline silicone and dye-sensitised/organic thin films.
Applications of Shimadzu's universal testers and thermal analysers include: bending testing of thin silicon wafers; adhesive-film peeling testing; strength and tensile-fatigue testing of materials for flexible printed circuits; and thermal-expansion testing of glass and films.
For cell-process evaluation, Shimadzu's spectrophotometers, spectrometers, high-performance liquid chromatographs and single nano-particle size analysers can be used in applications such as: evaluation of reflectance and transmission in UV, visible and NIR ranges; analysis of chemical bonding and status in surface/depth directions and composition analysis of films and buffer layers; composition analysis or organic compounds; and particle-size and particle-size-distribution measurements on nano-order titanium-oxide particles.
Shimadzu's X-Ray fluoroscopy systems, universal testers, rheometers and thermal analysers play a role in module process evaluation for: evaluating electrode joints; peeling and tensile testing of EVA film sealant; module-load testing and module-bending testing; rheological evaluation of sealing films and water-permeation measurements on sealing films.
