Proton accelerator can make solar panels half the price

To make a typical solar panel, silicon blanks are now being cut into plates about 200 microns thick. However, only a thin surface layer of the plate is used directly. In addition, in the cutting process, some of the silicon is lost as waste. Twin Creeks Technologies has developed a Hyperion installation that works on a completely different principle. The billets are irradiated with a proton accelerator, which “drives” protons to a strictly defined depth. A thin layer of hydrogen bubbles is formed inside the billet, then the billet is heated, and a thin sheet of silicon is peeled off by gas pressure, after which the cycle repeats. The resulting silicon sheet has a thickness of only 20 microns, and, after applying it to a metal base, the photocell bends easily without breaking.

Photocells made using Twin Creeks technology cost half as much as usual, less than 50 cents per watt. The company's website claims that it will allow solar installations to compete with traditional energy sources.

In addition to solar panels, the “proton knife” technology can also be used in other industries, for example, in the manufacture of CMOS sensors and LEDs. In addition to silicon, this technology can work with gallium arsenide, germanium and other materials.

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