Leadmicro Leads BC Solar Cell Tech for TOPCon Upgrades

PVTIME – Jiangsu Leadmicro Nano Technology Co., Ltd. (Leadmicro, 688147.SH), a global manufacturer specialising in high-end micro-nano equipment for the semiconductor and pan-semiconductor sectors, has announced a significant breakthrough in back contact (BC) solar cell technology. The company has successfully implemented its independently developed key equipment, including boron diffusion, phosphorus diffusion, LPCVD and PE-Poly systems, in BC cell mass production. This development resolves the technical bottlenecks that were previously hindering the upgrade of TOPCon production lines to BC technology. When combined with Leadmicro’s consistent mass production performance of ALD and PECVD equipment for BC cells, it establishes the company as a pioneer in high-temperature and vacuum equipment for BC technology, while also solidifying its technical leadership in the field.

Leadmicro drew on its extensive expertise in three critical areas, including vacuum equipment technology, original research and development, and the application of Poly processes, to address key challenges in BC mass production. These challenges included a lack of diversity in poly technology routes, mismatches between thin-film performance and production capacity, and persistently high operational costs. Through targeted research and upgrades to key equipment, such as boron diffusion, phosphorus diffusion, LPCVD, PECVD, PE-Poly and laser systems, the company achieved high capacity and yield for boron and phosphorus diffusion and LPCVD and PECVD tools, while reducing the investment cost of BC cell production lines. A critical advancement came from introducing PE-Poly technology to BC lines. This diversified the poly technology options for BC solar cells and provided an additional, low-cost pathway for upgrading TOPCon lines to BC technology.

Building on these technical advances, Leadmicro has developed a comprehensive, turnkey BC line solution based on its TOPCon 3.0 product range. This solution facilitates the transition from TOPCon to BC technology, integrating selected new equipment into existing TOPCon lines while making minimal modifications to compatible machinery. In addition to the traditional BC solar cell upgrade route that relies solely on LPCVD, the solution’s standout feature is its hybrid LPCVD + PE-Poly BC solar cell technology route. This hybrid approach offers strong compatibility with mainstream TOPCon-to-BC upgrade processes in the market and is expected to deliver substantial reductions in upgrade and ongoing mass production costs. Looking ahead, the solution will also support upgrades to a full PE-Poly-based BC route, paving the way for research and development aimed at improving the efficiency of BC technology and reducing costs further.