Analysis of Nitrogen Generator Applications in Photovoltaic Panel Manufacturing

Against the backdrop of the rapid development of the photovoltaic industry, the manufacturing of high-efficiency, high-quality PV panels relies heavily on a variety of critical supporting technologies. Among these, nitrogen gas produced by nitrogen generators has become a vital enabler throughout the entire PV panel production process, thanks to its stable chemical properties and controllable supply model—its application directly influences the performance, longevity, and production efficiency of PV panels.

I. The Core Demand for Nitrogen in Photovoltaic Panel Production

The core component of photovoltaic panels is the solar cell, and the primary raw material—high-purity silicon—requires stringent environmental conditions during processing. During high-temperature manufacturing, silicon is prone to oxidation reactions with oxygen, forming silica impurities that reduce material purity. Additionally, even trace amounts of contaminants adhering to the silicon surface can directly diminish the solar cell's efficiency in converting light into electricity.

Nitrogen, as a chemically stable inert gas, effectively isolates air, preventing oxidation reactions while also creating a clean, low-humidity processing environment—perfectly meeting the process requirements for silicon material and subsequent component fabrication. Nitrogen generators utilize air separation technology to extract nitrogen with purity levels ranging from 99% to 99.999%, and can dynamically adjust both purity and supply according to the specific needs of different production stages, ensuring a reliable gas supply for photovoltaic panel manufacturing.

II. Applications of Nitrogen in Silicon Wafer Manufacturing

Silicon wafers are the core foundational material for the photovoltaic conversion in solar panels, and their manufacturing process demands extremely high levels of purity and cleanliness. During the single-crystal pulling stage, ultra-pure nitrogen gas—supplied by a nitrogen generator with a purity level of at least 99.999%—must be continuously injected into the growth furnace to fill the furnace space, effectively isolating it from ambient air. This prevents the silicon melt from reacting with oxygen, ensuring that the resulting silicon ingot meets the stringent purity standards required by the production process.

After silicon wafers are cut, they must be purged with nitrogen gas to remove any residual silicon dust from the surface. If silicon dust remains on the wafer surface, it can negatively impact processes such as coating and etching during subsequent manufacturing steps. Industry data shows that even a single metal ion contamination on the wafer surface can reduce battery efficiency by 0.3% to 0.5%. Moreover, in the PECVD coating process, nitrogen not only serves as a protective atmosphere but also acts as a reactive gas, playing a crucial role in forming the passivation layer and enhancing the silicon wafer's potential for efficient photoelectric conversion.

III. The Role of Nitrogen in the Wafer Production Process

Battery cell production involves multiple high-temperature processes, including diffusion, etching, screen printing, and sintering. Nitrogen plays a crucial role in these processes, serving both environmental protection and process-support functions. In the diffusion furnace, for instance, nitrogen gas with a purity of over 99.99% is introduced to isolate oxygen, ensuring uniformity in the doping process, preventing undesirable crystal structures from forming in the silicon material, and ultimately maintaining the excellent conductivity of the doped layer.

During the sintering process following screen printing, a nitrogen atmosphere minimizes contact between the electrode material and oxygen, preventing electrode oxidation and enhancing the conductivity of the cell electrodes. In the annealing and dehydration-drying stages of the cell processing, the nitrogen oven must be purged with dry nitrogen to swiftly remove moisture from within the cells, thereby avoiding hidden cracks or performance degradation caused by residual moisture—and ultimately establishing a solid quality foundation for subsequent encapsulation procedures.

IV. The Application Value of Nitrogen in Component Packaging

Photovoltaic panels are designed for long-term outdoor operation, exposed to environmental factors such as temperature and humidity fluctuations, as well as rain and snow erosion. The quality of module encapsulation directly determines their service life. During the lamination process, industrial nitrogen gas supplied by a nitrogen generator must be injected into the laminator to displace air trapped between layers during EVA film curing. This prevents the formation of bubbles and moisture channels inside the module, ensuring its airtight seal.

Meanwhile, nitrogen filling replaces the residual air inside the component, minimizing contact between internal metal parts and oxygen, thereby preventing metal oxidation and corrosion, and delaying the aging of encapsulation materials. Industry test data shows that photovoltaic modules packaged with nitrogen exhibit a PID degradation rate 90% lower compared to those using conventional encapsulation methods, effectively extending the service life of solar panels. Additionally, during the junction box potting process, nitrogen acts as a barrier against atmospheric moisture, preventing the silicone from absorbing moisture before it fully cures, thus ensuring the sealing performance and reliability of the potting process.

V. The Significance of Nitrogen Applications for the Green Development of the Photovoltaic Industry

Driven by the "Dual Carbon" goals, the photovoltaic industry is advancing toward greater efficiency, longer lifespan, and lower carbon emissions, while continuously raising demands for both environmental friendliness and cost-effectiveness in production processes. The application of nitrogen generators to produce nitrogen gas not only ensures stable manufacturing processes, enhancing the conversion efficiency and extending the service life of photovoltaic panels—thereby reducing the frequency of panel replacements later on and minimizing resource consumption—but also eliminates the need for additional extraction of natural resources. Instead, nitrogen is obtained directly through air separation on-site, with a relatively low energy footprint during production. This approach aligns perfectly with the green development philosophy of the new-energy industry.

Currently, nitrogen produced by nitrogen generators has become a fundamental enabler for scalable, high-quality production in the photovoltaic industry—ranging from the manufacturing of monocrystalline and polycrystalline silicon PV panels to the development of thin-film PV technologies—and is providing crucial support for the industry's transition toward greener, more sustainable practices.