United States Department of energy's national renewable energy Laboratory (Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory,NREL) Natcore Technology equipment company was granted an exclusive patent license, proliferating transmitter technology of black liquid phase deposition of silicon and Natcore (LPD) technology used in combination. Natcore scientists and NREL researchers say black silicon production process used to reduce the average reflectivity to 1.5%, while existing advanced anti-reflective coating only mean albedo can be reduced to about 6%. Objectives of the company is in 2012 to allow the technology market.
Natcore, Dr Dennis Flood, Chief Technology Officer, said: "Natcore ability by liquid deposition technique black passivation of silicon solar cells, this is what we lacked in the past, its potential to drive the black Silicon. Passivation in Natcore technology, before the appearance of coating the battery must be placed in a 1000 degrees of furnaces to produce thermal oxide layer. ”
Natcore said passivation from their LPD coated with silica at the same time, does not require additional heat treatment processes, thereby reducing process costs, while increasing battery efficiency.
Natcore, President and CEO Chuck Provini, said: "we will be NREL's black LPD and passivation of silicon technology with our technology, hybrid-process optimization, and their inclusion in the AR-Box, to be able to use all-liquid-phase process, ultra low reflectance, high-performance silicon solar cell output, while increasing production. ”
NREL license contains a programme of development and commercialization, Natcore company technical and marketing milestones, August 2012 is expected to achieve. Included with NREL royalty structure.
NREL's black silicon technology with SiOnyx should not confuse black Silicon surface texture technology.