Natcore Makes Major Advancements In Black Silicon, Discovers Compelling New Application

 

Black Silicon and Selective Emitter Have Been Prime Goals Of Solar Industry For Years

Solar Science Pioneer Joins Natcore's Advisory Board

RED BANK, N.J., April 11, 2013 /CNW/ - Natcore Technology Inc. (TSX-V: NXT; NTCXF.PK) has made major strides in advancing its black silicon solar cells to commercial levels of efficiency and, as part of its development process, has discovered that its technology could finally provide the industry with a low-cost selective emitter application.

Natcore's initial black silicon solar cells, the first full-size black silicon cells produced using a low-cost, scalable manufacturing process, had efficiencies of approximately 1%, as compared with average efficiencies for commercial cells of approximately 17%.

Through refinement of its in-lab production process, and despite the lack of a key piece of equipment, Natcore's technical staff has been able to achieve efficiencies as high as 14.7%.

These results have been achieved without an adequate diffusion furnace to control phosphorus diffusion into the solar cells' silicon surfaces. Natcore has now obtained and installed a fully capable diffusion furnace, with commissioning of this crucial piece of equipment having begun the week of April 1 . The company's technical staff is confident that this diffusion furnace will allow for significant improvements in the efficiencies of its black silicon cells.

Importantly, Natcore's staff has discovered that its proprietary liquid phase deposition (LPD) may make a low-cost selective emitter application available to the solar industry. Selective emitter technology is a long-sought enhancement to solar cells in which the regions under a cell's front contacts are heavily doped to improve the electrical connection, while the remaining emitter surface is lightly doped to promote better efficiency.

Selective emitter applications have been proven to significantly increase solar cell efficiencies, but a low-cost, highly scalable process has remained elusive to industry. Theoretically, Natcore's LPD process could make this achievable, and early results from experiments using the company's newly installed diffusion furnace have been very encouraging.

Because of these positive results, Natcore is now rapidly moving to protect its selective emitter intellectual property, and is in the process of filing provisional patents.

"The solar industry has been clamoring for a selective emitter application that is cost-effective because of its demonstrated improvement to cell efficiencies," notes Natcore's CEO, Chuck Provini. "In fact, once Dr. Daniele Margadonna joined our Science Advisory Board and learned of our plans to install a new diffusion furnace, he immediately urged us to simultaneously pursue a selective emitter approach. I'm pleased to say that we were very quickly able to demonstrate the efficacy of our technology toward this crucial and valuable application."

Natcore's black silicon and selective emitter applications are not mutually exclusive; in fact, they are synergistic. Indeed, the envisioned production process would allow both of these important improvements to be seamlessly inserted into a solar cell manufacturing line.

"Combining Natcore's black silicon technology with our groundbreaking selective emitter technology could raise today's commercial solar cell efficiencies to new high levels, while still lowering the cost per watt," says Natcore's Chief Technology Officer, Dr. Dennis Flood . "Solar cell manufacturers are aggressively seeking easy-to-implement production steps that will improve their product and profitability without having to raise their prices. Natcore's combination of selective emitter and black silicon technologies promises to do just that."

Natcore also announced today that, after conducting due diligence into the company's technology, solar industry pioneer Dr. David Carlson has joined the company's Science Advisory Board.

A physicist with a worldwide reputation in photovoltaics and materials science, Dr. Carlson served as the chief scientist of BP Solar until his recent retirement.

In 1974, Dr. Carlson invented the amorphous silicon solar cell at RCA Laboratories, and was the first to demonstrate that hydrogenated amorphous silicon could be doped either p- or n-type and could be used to form a semiconductor junction.

Dr. Carlson was a co-recipient of the 1984 Morris N. Liebmann Award (IEEE) "for crucial contributions to the use of amorphous silicon in low-cost, high-performance photovoltaic solar cells." For his outstanding contributions in the field of solar energy, he has also received the Walton Clark Medal from the Franklin Institute, the William R. Cherry Award from the IEEE, and the Karl W. Boer Medal from the International Solar Energy Society and the University Delaware.

Dr. Carlson is a fellow of the IEEE and has been a member of the American Physical Society, the American Vacuum Society, and Sigma Xi. He has published more than 150 technical papers, has been issued 26 U.S. patents, and has eight patents pending. He is listed in Who's Who in America.

Dr. Carlson received a B.S. in Physics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a PhD in Physics from Rutgers University. He served as a U.S. Army captain in Pleiku, Vietnam in 1969 and 1970.

Dr. Carlson joins Dr. Daniele Margadonna , Chief Technology Officer of MX Group SpA, on Natcore's Science Advisory Board.

"These two scientists, along with our co-founders Dr. Andy Barron and Dr. Dennis Flood and our Director of Research, Dr. David Levy , give us a brain trust that in my opinion is unsurpassed in the solar industry," notes Brien Lundin, Natcore's Chairman. "Because of our recent advancements and expanding scientific and technical resources, we are also expanding our space at Eastman Business Park five-fold, to 20,000 square feet, in preparation for the progression of our technology from the lab to manufacturing facilities."

Statements in this press release other than purely historical factual information, including statements relating to revenues or profits, or Natcore's future plans and objectives, or expected sales, cash flows, and capital expenditures constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on numerous assumptions and are subject to all of the risks and uncertainties inherent in Natcore's business, including risks inherent in the technology history. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on such statements. Except in accordance with applicable securities laws, Natcore expressly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking statements that are incorporated by reference herein.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Natcore Technology Appoints Prominent Italian Solar Scientist to Head New Advisory Board

RED BANK, N.J., Jan. 18, 2013 /CNW/ - Dr. Daniele Margadonna, Chief Technology Officer of MX Group SpA, has been selected to chair a new advisory board being formed by Natcore Technology Inc. (TSX-V: NXT; NTCXF.PK). The appointment is effective immediately.

Headquartered in Villasanta, near Milan, MX Holding is the holding company of an Italian group with international exposure in the solar photovoltaic industry. MX Holding has extensive experience in the planning and construction of turnkey photovoltaic plants. In 2010, the group registered sales of 155 million.

Dr. Margadonna is one of the most renowned solar scientists in Europe. He is particularly expert in three key areas that are of special interest to Natcore:

• Selective emitter concept, a process for putting front contacts on a solar cell that could improve its efficiency up to 2.0%.
• Back side passivation, the process of filling dangling atomic bonds on the rear surface of solar cells and reducing the number of defects that always exist in the upper region of the cell body. It is critical to enabling production of long-term, high-performance silicon solar cells.
• Epitaxial growth, a new technology for the production of wafers with reusable silicon substrates.

"The solar industry needs these technologies in order to lower costs and improve efficiencies," says Chuck Provini, Natcore's president and CEO. "With Dr. Margadonna on board, we plan to hire additional teams of scientists to further develop each of them."

"We came to know and respect Dr. Margadonna in 2011, when we discussed a joint venture agreement with MX Solar," says Provini. "Now we're beginning to lay groundwork for our marketing efforts in Europe, and we realize that Daniele's vast experience, his contacts in Europe's leading solar countries, and his insights into commercialization would be invaluable to us. We are elated that he has agreed to join us."

"This is a dream opportunity for a solar scientist," says Dr. Margadonna. "I enjoy working with Dr. Dennis Flood [Natcore's Chief Technology Officer]. I'm excited about having access to Natcore's intellectual property. And the prospect of working on black silicon under Natcore's license with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory is exhilarating."

Dr. Margadonna earned a Bachelor's Degree in Physical Chemistry at University of Rome, where he also completed doctorate and postgraduate studies in Radiochemistry. Following R&D positions at the Italian National Research Council, ENI Groupe, and Eurosolare, he established E.T.AE, a consulting company focused on photovoltaic technologies. At E.T.AE, he fulfilled consultancy contracts for companies in Italy, Namibia, Norway, India, Switzerland, and Sweden.

Dr. Margadonna has received the Philip Morris Prize for Scientific and Technological Innovation. He is author or co-author of more than 40 scientific publications and six patents in the PV sector.

President's Message.

We are moving some of our work out from under the laboratory hood.

We have just turned a major corner in our march toward revenue: We have produced a complete black silicon solar cell at our own lab.

So we’re moving our black silicon technology into the design, testing and modification stages in a manufacturing environment.

Until now, we have outsourced some of the work on our black silicon cell, but our recent capital injection has enabled us to obtain the equipment and the people to complete all of the requisite functions internally. So we will now accelerate our pace with National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) to maximize the efficiency and power output of this unique solar cell.

That’s not the only technology on which we are moving forward. For the first half of 2013, our “to do” list includes these goals:

· Hire additional scientists and technicians.

· Produce a solar panel from black silicon cells made in our own lab.

· Complete a second-generation AR-Box™. This solar cell processing station will be designed to produce black silicon solar cell wafers in a pilot line role in existing solar cell manufacturing facilities. Pending a successful testing outcome, we then hope to sell the machine to a Chinese cell manufacturer who has been sending us their cells to coat, test and optimize. As soon as we can put AR-Box into manufacturers’ hands we can turn on the faucets of chemical sales and royalty revenues, which will be our primary sources of income.

We have moved black silicon higher on our work schedule because we see it as our most immediate source of revenue. But we certainly haven’t forgotten our other technologies.

For example, we’ve made interesting progress on our tandem solar cells, which we continue to believe will change the world.

Tandem cells consist of up to three cells arranged one atop the other. Natcore plans to develop a two-junction tandem solar cell first. The two-cell tandem device starts with an ordinary silicon solar cell on the bottom. A cell interconnect comes next, then a second cell made of silicon quantum dots. This solar cell is tuned to absorb light from the middle of the spectrum to the blue end of the spectrum. The device is then finished with back and front contacts and can be up to 30% efficient. The two-junction tandem cell fabrication process can be added easily near the end of a standard silicon cell process line, and would effectively increase the line’s megawatt per year output by as much as 60% at a reduced cost per watt.

Natcore's edge in this process is the ability to embed the two types of silicon quantum dots (positive and negative, or P and N) in the top cell within a layer of silicon dioxide using our liquid-phase film growth process. (All other attempts to create viable tandem cells have used vacuum deposition techniques that are expensive and do not allow independent control over the formation of the quantum dots and the way they are arranged.)

The next step up in efficiency is a three-junction tandem solar cell. This sort of device is commonly used on space satellites but in its present form is far too expensive to be used terrestrially. Natcore’s LPD technology allows the top two cells of this device to be made from quantum dots instead of the very expensive space-qualified material now used. The three-junction tandem cell will be made by growing two separate silicon quantum dot solar cells, one on top of the other, on a silicon solar cell substrate using Natcore’s LPD technology. The efficiency of this device would exceed 35%.

We have identified three important phases that must be completed before we can commercialize a three-junction tandem solar cell:

Phase I: Develop an economically viable process for making embedded quantum dots that are photo-responsive. We have already demonstrated that we can do so.

Phase II: Create both N and P type quantum dots so that we can create a junction. We’re working to control the doping. (Doping is adding an impurity to a surface to produce a desired electrical characteristic.)

Phase III: Optimize the contact. We will begin work on Phase III as soon as Phase II is completed.

We believe that a commercial device is 18-24 months away.

Building on the same technology, our roll-to-roll solar cell is following a similar path, but with some serendipitous evolution: We now believe that we can integrate a single junction tandem cell with a roll-to-roll solar cell. That work will yield the ultimate: a dual junction, all-quantum dot tandem solar cell with a roll-to-roll configuration. It will combine the lower cost of a roll-to-roll cell with the increased efficiency (30% or more) of a tandem cell. To reach that goal, we’re working on a way to replace the bottom silicon cell with a layer of different quantum dots.

We continue to receive media attention, particularly from the solar trade journals, which are particularly important at this stage in our development. This, in conjunction with our state-of-the-art laboratory in Rochester, has moved us closer to manufacturing partners even as we move a bit further away from under the laboratory hood.

I would like to assure everyone, however, that even though we are being introduced to many opportunities, we remain totally focused on the solar arena, particularly the tandem solar cell. The other applications, which are closer to commercialization, help pay the bills and reduce the amount of dilution that might arise through financing.

 

12/04/2012

ink: http://www.thestreet.com/story/11597613/1/when-solar-crossover-hits-the-world-will-quake.html

 

When Solar 'Crossover' Hits, the World Will Quake

Dana Blankenhorn

BOSTON (TheStreet) -- The most important financial event of this decade will be called "crossover." That's the point at which solar energy becomes cheaper than fossil fuel energy.

Crossover will transform energy economics. It puts a thumb down on energy prices. When costs for exploiting a fuel source go above the crossover price, that fuel source becomes uneconomic, as solar cell production scales to meet it.

Crossover happens in different places, in different ways, partly because the economics of solar and fossil fuel energy are different:

• With solar, you buy and install a panel. That's your capital investment. That panel produces energy over some useful life. Once you have accounted for your capital costs, any additional energy becomes free if you maintain the panel and it keeps working.
• With fossil fuels, you first buy and install systems for burning fuel, then buy fuel. The first cost is capitalized (and relatively minor), the second is expensed (and subject to change).

When critics charge that solar is "uneconomic," what they mean is that the capital cost of the panel, spread over its useful life, won't produce as much energy as fossil fuels would at current prices. But critics can't assure current prices. Fuel prices fluctuate.

Solar panels installed last year continue to produce this year. The amortized cost of that power may fall below current fuel prices, or may sit above them. Subsidies are used to lower the effective cost of solar capital, but once that panel is installed it's going to produce whether or not the subsidy remains in place.

Right now, it is assumed that the cost of panels, amortized over their life, will produce electricity at a net cost higher than juice bought from the grid. That's a big assumption, but it's what the market thinks. In other words, solar can't exist without subsidies.

This subsidy battle has moved to states and localities. States and localities with subsidy programs are good markets for solar panel makers. Until crossover, it's this "buy side" of the market that has the profit -- demand has to be pulled when your costs exceed the competition's. The hope of bulls in companies like First Solar(FSLR) is that subsidies can assure sales until crossover is achieved.

What can upset the balance is new technology that draws power from light outside the visible spectrum, a fuel source now being wasted. The problem is always moving new technology into production.

So the big news today comes from a very small company called NatCore, based in Red Bank, N.J., and traded in Toronto under the symbol NXT.

NatCore calls its technology "black silicon" and deploys it through a Liquid Phase Deposition (LPD) process that may be compatible with current thin-film manufacturing. It's now testing this compatibility with five companies, two in North America, two in China and one in Europe.

Black silicon brings yields on solar systems from 17% to 30% by absorbing all light spectrum into a cell, using carbon nanotubes. It was created by Andrew Barron of Rice University, who serves as a consultant to the company.

My point today is not that you should sell the cat and buy NatCore. There are, in fact, dozens of small companies like NatCore, at various stages in the research, discovery and commercialization process. NatCore, in fact, might find itself highly dependent on the work of high school students like Neerja Aggarwal, an intern at Baron's lab, developing ways to mass-produce nanotubes efficiently.

My point is that not all these efforts are doomed to failure, that one, or more, will succeed in transforming solar economics. GE and the Department of Energy expect crossover with fossil fuels to occur in 2015 or 2016, depending on energy prices and changing technology.

Many believe that solar crossover with nuclear happened two years ago. Seen many new nuclear plants?

This industry is not blowing smoke. Crossover is coming. Be aware of that as you consider all your energy investments -- in fact, all your investments. Because once crossover happens, we go from an age of scarcity to one of abundance, and everything changes.

Disclosure: The writer owns no stocks in the companies mentioned (but he did graduate from Rice University in 1977).

Update: At the end of September, Natcore announced that they have developed their first product, NanoShades, which will be commercially available in the first quarter of 2011. This product looks similar to a large venetian blind with conventional solar cells affixed to the slats that can be positioned to optimize exposure to the sun’s rays. NanoShades do not employ Natcore’s proprietary LPD technology, but instead will feature conventional solar cell technology until the company is able to produce its own solar cells. The new product is intended to “showcase the company’s ability to integrate solar panels onto a variety of shapes and architectural surfaces.” Natcore has formed a separate wholly owned subsidiary to produce the NanoShades. Design,production and marketing will be overseen by consultants and should not interfere with Natcore’s primary business of developing super-efficient solar cells. Natcore’s Chinese joint-venture with the Zhuzhou Hi-Tech Industrial Zone and Chuangke Silicon is progressing smoothly. New employees are now being hired and the funding and build-out of facilities is ready to proceed. The Chinese joint venture will utilize the company’s proprietary liquid phase deposition process to apply an anti-reflective coating to conventional solar cells. The venture will be very useful in the commercial development of the process. Natcore retains all rights to the process for the manufacture of solar cells.

It will probably be a few months before we get any news on: The four solar companies that are evaluating their product. still news could come at any time. "At the request of four different international solar cell manufacturers, Natcore has sent sample wafers with anti-reflective coatings to the specific requirements requested by these potential customers. Natcore’s room-temperature LPD process has been used to grow anti-reflective (AR) films on these wafers with the necessary thickness, uniformity and purity for customer applications."

Big Gain this week, and a long ways to go if they make a tandem solar cell. PRESS RELEASE SYMBOL: NXT.V Natcore Ships completed samples to Potential Customers; successfully manufactures silicon quantum dots for tandem solar cell program. RED BANK, NEW JERSEY – April 15, 2010 – Natcore Technology Inc. (TSX-V: NXT; NTCXF.PK) (“Natcore” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that it has shipped sample wafers demonstrating the unique advantages of its Liquid Phase Deposition (LPD) process to potential customers in the solar industry. At the request of four different international solar cell manufacturers, Natcore has sent sample wafers with anti-reflective coatings to the specific requirements requested by these potential customers. Natcore’s room-temperature LPD process has been used to grow anti-reflective (AR) films on these wafers with the necessary thickness, uniformity and purity for customer applications. In addition, Natcore’s team at Nanotech West at the Ohio State University (OSU) has performed a series of process improvement experiments over the past three months, in anticipation of transferring the process to the “Natcore China” joint venture company. This is a very important step in the Company’s plan, as it will allow the team in China to come quickly up to speed in exactly replicating the process developed at OSU. Through these experiments, Natcore’s scientists have confirmed that the within-wafer uniformity, wafer-to-wafer uniformity, and batch-to-batch wafer uniformity all exceed required levels. Moreover, testing has confirmed the consistent nature of the refractive index of the silicon dioxide-based films, as well as the excellent density, hardness and film-thickness control during growth from the LPD process. Natcore’s team has also developed a prototype engineering design for the scaled process at the Natcore China JV, and begun design of an automated, manufacturing-scale system. A full equipment and facility requirements listing has been developed, and projected costs for equipment, air handing, water requirements and electrical demand for the scaled process at the joint-venture are now being outlined. “Our ability to show the scalability and consistency of our product wafers over a series of small-scale production batches allows us, for the first time, to meet the sample requests of potential end-users,” notes Chuck Provini, Natcore’s president and CEO. “In combination with our recent testing and development achievements at Ohio State, we continue to make major progress out of the laboratory and toward a production line.” The company is also pleased to report that its program at Rice University has achieved a significant milestone, having successfully manufactured silicon nanocrystals (quantum dots) of sufficient quality and suitable characteristics for use in its tandem solar cell research. This is an important advance toward the Company’s goal of developing low-cost, super-efficient silicon cells with efficiencies of over 30%, or about twice the power output of today’s most efficient mass-produced solar cells. Natcore would also like to direct investor attention to the inaugural Pinnacle Digest Radio Show, which features CEO Chuck Provini and Prof. Andrew Barron commenting on the Company’s recent accomplishments and exciting goals. The radio show can be accessed at no charge at PinnacleDigest.com.

Small bit about companies doing business in China vs US. Natcore got a mention in the NY Times. XI’AN, China — For years, many of China’s best and brightest left for the United States, where high-tech industry was more cutting-edge. But Mark R. Pinto is moving in the opposite direction. Mr. Pinto is the first chief technology officer of a major American tech company to move to China. The company, Applied Materials, is one of Silicon Valley’s most prominent firms. It supplied equipment used to perfect the first computer chips. Today, it is the world’s biggest supplier of the equipment used to make semiconductors, solar panels and flat-panel displays… … NatCore Technology of Red Bank, N.J., recently discovered a way to make solar panels much thinner, reducing the energy and toxic materials required to manufacture them. American companies did not even come look at the technology, so NatCore reached a deal with a consortium of Chinese companies to finish developing its invention and mass-produce it in Changsha, China. “These other countries — China, Taiwan, Brazil — were all over us,” said Chuck Provini, the company’s chief executive… For the entire story: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/18/business/global/18research.html?emc=eta1

Here is a good interview with Natcore CEO http://www.wallstreetreporter.com/2009/11/natcore-technology-tsx-v-nxt-ceo-interview/

THE NEXT STEP Next news should be a deal with a Solar Cell manufacturing company which would test their growth of thinner silicon films by their liquid phase deposition technology. The company stated in their New Orleans presentation that it was close to an agreement with a major manufacturer of solar cells. The deal, if it comes together as anticipated, would result in a fast-track program to incorporate the Natcore process into an existing manufacturing facility. After suitable testing, the manufacturer would use the process in at least one step of the process. That would be a huge advance for natcore, as it would fast-track the process into a real-world manufacturing facility. The experience would be invaluable in the on-going development efforts. Within a matter of months, if all goes according to plan, Natcore would begin to accrue revenue as the development effort proceeds.

Take a look at their October powerpoint on the web site. I think the price is getting a little ahead of itself. In August they went to China and may have a future joint venture partner there. They are looking at 10% of the solar anti reflective coating market netting them 25 million a year in Revenue. and a 10% of the whole Solar cell market( Tandem Cells) would give them 500 million a year at 10% of the market. They are suggesting that if they are successful in creating a tandem cell that it would be disruptive technology and could capture most of the solar cell market. Cheers!

UP 0.18 (31.58%) to $0.75 today, hope some people got in early, still speculative, but an interesting story. Cheers!

I bought a fairly large position at $ 0.40, heard a rumour they were talking to one of the big solar guys? There is also a new recommendation on web so that may be the reason for some of the recent action? http://www.pinnacledigest.com/articles/vol.-140-natcore-technology%3A-our-new-featured-company still early days here yet, was surprised by the move today especially with most things down today. Cheers!

Nxt.v +.19 to C$.65 deal with South American agent PR was a couple of days ago. Somebody is anxious to buy Natcore stock. Holding a small position in case they really do have the key to doubling solar cell efficiency. Still in the lab for the most part. Need first commercial sale to legitimize concept.

Just a heads up here. Natcore Technology will be presenting at The New Orleans 2009 Investment Conference. October 08-October 11 2009, which only makes sense since the Owner of the New Orleans Investment Conference is on the Board of Directors of Natcore (Brien Lundin) http://guest.cvent.com/EVENTS/Info/Custom.aspx?cid=20&e=a65db79c-b415-4b6b-8986-4a9cca6e75f0 Cheers! and good luck with your investing.

Thanks for the reminder. Bought a few shares today. Will tuck them away and see if they can make this technology work. Doubling efficiency of solar cells would change the industry. Bobwins

Have a friend who talked to company, they should have something on their LPD solar cell tech by year end ?? they initially said that they should have some data after 3 months? that was from june 2009. Potential to produce thin film silicon in water baths at room temp at potential 60% cost saving to the solar cell industry. Plan is to license the tech to solar companies and have revenue by next year, then work will start on the tandem solar cells which have potential to double the efficiency (30%) output of anything on the market today. In a nutshell looking to reduce cost of solar cells by 60% and double the efficiency as well. Cheers! good luck with your investing.

Very Interesting Solar Cell Technology Current Price $ 0.405 WEB: http://www.natcoresolar.com Early days here but could be a big winner if Technology Works. The Technology in a nutshell: 1. Their process produces Silicon crystals at room temp in an aqueous bath no more million dollar furnaces. 2. They can make solar cells with 60 % less silicon (big cost savings) and they can make much thinner silicon wafers. 3. The are looking to produce a TANDEM solar cell(2 layers) with 30% efficiency. More than double anything on the market right now 4. Their technology has many other potential uses as well