MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ: MKSI), a global provider of technologies that enable advanced processes and improve productivity, has introduced the GLM-2000 PV and Silicon Wafer Monitor for quality control in photovoltaic and crystalline silicon wafer processing for solar applications. The multi-function GLM-2000 uses a unique, high speed, non-contact RF detection technology to measure photoconductance in PV and silicon feedstocks and partially processed cells, either in-process or post-process.
The GLM-2000 metrology tool employs a novel implementation of the current RFPCD measurement technique to instantaneously measure sheet resistance, minority carrier lifetime (Gtau), photoconductance decay (PCD), and photoconductance rise (PCR), key quality control parameters for PV processing. The GLM-2000 employs a programmable LED array that permits measurements at different light intensities, allowing the user to determine the true steady state minority carrier lifetimes. The use of LEDs also allows flexibility in the choice of light color and this can be useful in distinguishing surface effects from bulk characteristics.
The flexibility of the sensor design permits easy integration into the production line as either a standalone benchtop unit or integrated within OEM or custom system components. The GLM-2000 combines a rich knowledge of the PV metrology field with superior manufacturing and service capabilities, to deliver a highly specific evaluation of product quality at many stages of the PV manufacturing process.
