The production process of wafers in the photovoltaic industry consists of numerous steps, ranging from sawing techniques to texturing. Each individual step – from precise processing during sawing to complex chemical processes such as cleaning, etching, and texturing – plays a crucial role in the efficiency and quality of the resulting solar cells.

The perfect interplay in the wafering process begins with the pre-cleaning performed by the RENA PreWaClean system. During the pre-cleaning step, the adhesive bond is removed from the carrier beam, among other things, by this system. Following this cleaning process, the wafers are separated and directly transferred to the final cleaning process using the RENA BatchWaClean wet chemical system.

The RENA BatchWaClean wet bench is used for final cleaning to ensure that the wafers meet high-quality standards and are optimally prepared for texturing in the next production step. In this process, remaining contaminants are removed in a batch process without etching the wafer surface. This final cleaning step typically includes a combination of alkaline cleaning, removal of organic contaminants, and a complete drying step. This combination ensures that no water spots or particles remain, which could otherwise cause inhomogeneities or efficiency losses during subsequent cell processing. The process not only provides high cleaning efficiency but also delivers an impressive throughput.

By carrying out these process steps, the solar wafers are ready for texturing and the further processing steps required for the production of high-efficiency solar cells.