LONGi recently presented its newly developed TaiRay silicon wafers which are suitable for the currently prevailing solar technologies such as TOPCon, heterojunction (HJT) and back contact cells (BC). They show an efficiency increase of approx. 0.1% for the cell technologies mentioned. The new wafers are the result of three years of intensive research and development by a LONGi R&D team of several hundred employees. LONGi has thus achieved a breakthrough in the field of silicon wafers, which has not seen any significant innovations in the last decade. The launch on the mass market is planned for September.
Yichun Wang, Head of Research and Development of LONGi's wafer division cites three key benefits of the TaiRay-silicon-wafers:
- High platform compatibility (TOPCon, heterojunction, back contact)
- More evenly distributed resistance
- Effective removal of impurities
The TaiRay wafers will be available in a range of sizes and thicknesses to meet the different market needs.
16 percent higher bending strength
In addition to the technological benefits, the TaiRay wafers also have improved mechanical properties. The tested bending strength of LONGi TaiRay silicon wafers is 16% higher than that of conventional wafers, ensuring a higher break resistance while producing thinner wafers with a lower probability of cell breakage during production.
Monocrystalline silicon wafers have always been LONGi's pioneering products, with the manufacturer achieving the world's largest shipment volume for nine consecutive years. In recent years, the wafer segment has witnessed the upgrading to monocrystalline, large size and thin wafers, and LONGi has contributed significantly to each technological change.
Silicon ingots have better and uniform resistance distribution
The new TaiRay wafers and their benefits are the result of an improved Recharge Czochralski (RCz) process used in the production of monocrystalline silicon ingots.
The longer the conventional silicon ingots are, the greater the difference in resistance across the entire ingot. Thanks to the improved RCz process, LONGi TaiRay silicon wafers can achieve a more uniform axial resistance distribution without having to shorten the ingot length. For the same ingot length, the resistance ratio between the ends is halved, resulting in more efficient cells.
In addition, metal impurities in LONGi's TaiRay silicon wafers can be removed more easily. Compared to conventional products, there is also more scope for improving efficiency. The more contaminants that can be removed, the greater the potential for improved cell efficiency.
Improving silicon wafers is indispensable for the enhancement of solar cells
Over the last decade, the solar industry has made significant breakthroughs in terms of technology and cost. As a result, solar power generation has become the fastest growing renewable energy source in the world. Global solar power generation entered the "terawatt era" in 2023. Zhenguo Li, founder and president of LONGi, said that the rapid development of the PV industry is mainly due to the continuous reduction of electricity costs. Reducing the cost and improving the efficiency of power generation are always the driving factors of the PV industry.
The accelerated development of the PV industry has also accelerated the development of silicon wafers which are essential for the enhancement of solar cells. The quality of the silicon wafer determines the conversion efficiency of the cell. However, in recent years, the continuous improvement of silicon wafer production technology has slowed down the progress of improving the performance of silicon wafers. The homogenization of silicon wafer products has become increasingly evident.
LONGi continues to focus on continuous research and development to further improve the performance of silicon wafers and meet the demand for high-quality wafers for today's need of high-performance solar cells.
President Zhenguo Li said: "We believe in the importance of science, technology and innovation in the PV industry and are focusing our resources on driving improvements to develop more efficient and reliable products aimed at increasing the productivity of solar energy."
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