Ferro will engineer a vitreous frit system to provide air-tight and water-tight seals for second- and third-generation thin-film solar cells. Ferro will collaborate with the Edison Welding Institute, StrateNexus Technologies, and The Ohio State University, all of Columbus, Ohio, in developing, testing and commercializing this new technology.
If successful, the new sealing materials will enable Ferro to solve a problem with second- and third-generation thin-film solar cells. As with all solar cells, thin-film cells require a hermetic seal to operate reliably for their expected lifetimes of 20-plus years.
This can be a problem as most thin-film solar cell modules are designed to be sealed with organic sealants that lose their hermeticity in time, especially if exposed to sunlight containing UV radiation. The problem is aggravated by exposure to daily and seasonal temperature fluctuations that can further weaken the seal, the company said.
Ferro proposes to replace the organic seal with technology similar to its glass frit sealing materials presently used in thick-film solar cells and that are field-proven to last well beyond the cells expected lifetime. The technical challenge is that thin-film cells are extremely temperature sensitive, and the current frit technology requires high firing temperatures to create the seal. The goal is to create a glass frit material that can create the required seal at lower temperatures and that can be activated by laser-based and ultrasonic energy systems.
Steven Florio, chief technology officer of Ferro’s Electronic, said: “One of Ferro Corporation’s core technical competencies is the design and manufacture of custom glasses. We believe this strength in glass technology will enable Ferro to rapidly drive the development of the frits required for this critical new application.”
Eric Fingerhut, chancellor of the Ohio board of regents and chair of the Ohio third frontier commission, said: “This funding catalyzes the transformation of cutting edge research – much of it pioneered in the laboratories of the university system of Ohio – into successful Ohio businesses and 21st century Ohio jobs. As the nation looks to renewable energies, Ohio’s position as a leader in photovoltaic production builds a foundation for the state’s economic future.”
