Photovoltaic device having low iron high transmission glass with lithium oxide for reducing seed free time and corresponding method
View Patent ↗A high transmission and low iron glass is provided for use in a photovoltaic device such as a solar cell. The glass substrate may be patterned on at least one surface thereof. In certain example embodiments, a combination of lithium oxide, antimony oxide, and salt cake is used in the glass to improve the refining conditions by lowering the melting temperature of the batch, thereby resulting in a quicker seed free time in the manufacturing process.
1. A method of making a low-iron highly transmissive glass for use in a photovoltaic device, the glass comprising:
Ingredient
wt. %
SiO 2
67-75%
Na 2 O
10-20%
CaO
5-15%
total iron (expressed as Fe 2 O 3 )
0.001 to 0.05%
cerium oxide
0 to 0.07%
antimony oxide
0.01 to 1.0%
lithium oxide
0.25 to 3.5%
salt cake
0.30 to 0.40%
wherein the glass has visible transmission of at least 90%, a transmissive a* color value of −1.0 to +1.0 and a transmissive b* color value of from 0 to +1.5; and wherein the method comprises
providing the lithium oxide, antimony oxide and salt cake in the recited amounts in a batch in making the low-iron glass so that a seed free time in making the glass is no more than 100 minutes, and wherein the batch has a batch redox of from +30 to +40.