Wireless temperature profiling system

1. A system for measuring an environment temperature of a photovoltaic substrate during a photovoltaic module manufacturing process, comprising:

a transponder adjacent to the photovoltaic substrate which measures the environment temperature during the photovoltaic module manufacturing process and sends a temperature signal corresponding to the environment temperature; and

a reader which sends a sweep signal and picks up the temperature signal from the transponder.

2. The wireless temperature profiling system of claim 1 , further comprising a frame antenna in communication with the reader, wherein the frame antenna receives the temperature signal from the transponder.

3. The wireless temperature profiling system of claim 1 , wherein the reader comprises memory storing data received from the transponder.

4. The wireless temperature profiling system of claim 1 , wherein the reader comprises a data output interface configured to connect the reader with a host system.

5. The wireless temperature profiling system of claim 1 , wherein the reader is connected to a power source.

6. The wireless temperature profiling system of claim 1 , wherein the transponder comprises a passive device, including a temperature sensor.

7. The wireless temperature profiling system of claim 6 , wherein the transponder comprises a transmitter to send a temperature signal from the temperature sensor.

8. The wireless temperature profiling system of claim 7 , wherein the transponder comprises an energy harvester driving the transmitter.

9. The wireless temperature profiling system of claim 8 , wherein the energy harvester comprises a piezoelectric energy harvester.

10. The wireless temperature profiling system of claim 1 , wherein the transponder comprises a radio-frequency powered LC sensor.

11. The wireless temperature profiling system of claim 10 , wherein the transponder comprises a metal spiral inductor as a part of the radio-frequency powered LC sensor.

12. The wireless temperature profiling system of claim 10 , wherein the transponder comprises an inductance temperature dependent material.

13. The wireless temperature profiling system of claim 10 , wherein the transponder comprises an inductance temperature dependent device as a part of the radio-frequency powered LC sensor.

14. The wireless temperature profiling system of claim 10 , wherein the transponder further comprises a capacitance temperature dependent material.

15. The wireless temperature profiling system of claim 10 , wherein the transponder further comprises a capacitance temperature dependent device as a part of the radio-frequency powered LC sensor.

16. The wireless temperature profiling system of claim 15 , wherein the capacitance temperature dependent device comprises a high temperature ceramic material.

17. The wireless temperature profiling system of claim 15 , wherein the capacitance temperature dependent device comprises beryllium oxide, aluminum nitride, alumina, or a machinable glass-ceramic.

18. The wireless temperature profiling system of claim 15 , wherein the machinable glass-ceramic comprises MACOR.

19. The wireless temperature profiling system of claim 1 , wherein the transponder is encapsulated.

20. The wireless temperature profiling system of claim 1 , wherein the working frequency of the system is 30 kHz to 3 GHz.

21. The wireless temperature profiling system of claim 1 , wherein the working frequency of the system is 30 kHz to 300 kHz.

22. The wireless temperature profiling system of claim 1 , wherein the working frequency of the system is 3 MHz to 30 MHz.

23. The wireless temperature profiling system of claim 1 , wherein the working frequency of the system is 300 MHz to 3 GHz.

24. The wireless temperature profiling system of claim 1 , wherein the transponder is provided on the substrate.

25. The wireless temperature profiling system as in claim 1 , wherein the transponder is provided on a carrier which moves the substrate.

26. A method of reading an environment temperature of a photovoltaic substrate during a photovoltaic module manufacturing process, the method, comprising:

providing a transponder adjacent to the photovoltaic substrate which reads an environment temperature during the photovoltaic module manufacturing process and returns a temperature signal corresponding to the temperature;

providing a reader which sends a sweep signal and picks up the temperature signal from the transponder;

generating a temperature signal from the transponder;

receiving the temperature signal with an antenna connected to the reader; and

converting the temperature signal to a corresponding temperature.

27. The method of claim 26 , wherein the transponder comprises a temperature sensor which provides the temperature signal.

28. The method of claim 27 , wherein the transponder further comprises a transmitter to send the temperature signal.

29. The method of claim 28 , wherein the transponder comprises a piezoelectric energy harvester, a radio-frequency powered LC sensor, and the temperature sensor comprises an inductance temperature dependent material, or a capacitance temperature dependent material.

30. A wireless temperature profiling system for communicating with at least one transponder moveable along an interrogation path comprising:

a photovoltaic substrate moving along said interrogation path during processing to form a photovoltaic module;

a plurality of transponders adjacent to the photovoltaic substrate moving along the interrogation path, wherein each of the transponders simultaneously sends a temperature signal corresponding to an environment temperature;

a plurality of readers along the interrogation path, wherein each of the readers simultaneously sends a sweep signal and picks up a signal from a transponder.

31. The wireless temperature profiling system of claim 30 , wherein each reader comprises a frame antenna, memory storing data received from a transponder, and a data output interface configured to connect the reader with a host system.

32. The wireless temperature profiling system of claim 30 , wherein at least one of the transponders comprise a passive device, including a temperature sensor.

33. The wireless temperature profiling system of claim 30 , wherein each transponder comprises a transmitter to send the temperature signal.

34. The wireless temperature profiling system of claim 33 , wherein each transponder comprises a piezoelectric energy harvester driving the transmitter.

35. The wireless temperature profiling system of claim 30 , wherein each transponder comprises a radio-frequency powered LC sensor.

36. The wireless temperature profiling system of claim 30 , wherein each transponder comprises a metal spiral inductor as a part of a radio-frequency powered LC sensor.

37. The wireless temperature profiling system of claim 30 , wherein the working frequency of the system is 30 k to 3 GHz.

38. The wireless temperature profiling system of claim 30 , wherein each transponder comprises an inductance temperature dependent material.

39. The wireless temperature profiling system of claim 30 , wherein each transponder comprises an inductance temperature dependent device as a part of a radio-frequency powered LC sensor.

40. The wireless temperature profiling system of claim 30 , wherein each transponder comprises a capacitance temperature dependent material or a high temperature ceramic material.

41. The wireless temperature profiling system of claim 30 , wherein each transponder comprises a capacitance temperature dependent device as a part of a radio-frequency powered LC sensor.

42. The wireless temperature profiling system of claim 30 , wherein the transponder is provided on the substrate.

43. The wireless temperature profiling system as in claim 30 , wherein the transponder is provided on a carrier which moves the substrate.