Proton accelerator used to create flexible silicon wafers
OCT 31, 2012
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.026490
The Atlantic : Traditional methods for creating silicon wafers for solar panels and semiconductors require significant quantities of silicon, which can account for up to 80% of the final product’s cost. To reduce the amount of silicon needed, Twin Creeks Technologies has adapted proton accelerator technology. Protons are fired at ultrathin silicon sheets, tracing a pattern into the silicon. When the material is heated, the silicon where the protons are embedded detaches, which creates the channels needed for semiconductors or solar cells. The result is a very thin, flexible silicon wafer that uses 90% less silicon than those created by traditional processes. According to CEO Siva Sivaram, the company is just about ready to make its product available to solar panel manufacturers.
© 2012 American Institute of Physics
