Customized short and ultrashort laser pulses for the photovoltaics industry

Abstract

Market studies anticipate a dramatic increase in the worldwide production capacity of solar cells and modules in the next years. To achieve the forecasts the photovoltaic industry has to increase the number of modules produced in a year as well as the efficiency of every module. Laser technology is already an essential tool currently used to produce thin film solar modules or solar cells based on crystalline silicon. New cell and module designs require lasers for ablation and contacting. Depending on the application - the wavelength, beam quality, pulse duration and pulse energy determine the feasibility. To cover the full range of applications, TRUMPF released three laser series for industrial micro processing. The combination of the industrial proven disk technology along with q-switch leads to pulse energies in the tens of millijoules, at a pulse duration of up to 1 µs. Pulse durations between 10 and 80 ns with highest stability and best beam quality are generated by a power oscillator with external modulation. Furthermore an ultrafast MOPA-system with an average power of more than 50 W is available. This CPA-free, diode-pumped, all-solid-state thin-disk regenerative amplifier, delivers pulses below 10 ps with pulse energies of up to 250 µJ.Market studies anticipate a dramatic increase in the worldwide production capacity of solar cells and modules in the next years. To achieve the forecasts the photovoltaic industry has to increase the number of modules produced in a year as well as the efficiency of every module. Laser technology is already an essential tool currently used to produce thin film solar modules or solar cells based on crystalline silicon. New cell and module designs require lasers for ablation and contacting. Depending on the application - the wavelength, beam quality, pulse duration and pulse energy determine the feasibility. To cover the full range of applications, TRUMPF released three laser series for industrial micro processing. The combination of the industrial proven disk technology along with q-switch leads to pulse energies in the tens of millijoules, at a pulse duration of up to 1 µs. Pulse durations between 10 and 80 ns with highest stability and best beam quality are generated by a power oscillator with external mo...