Research progress in casting technologies for multicrystalline silicon in solar cells

Due to its high ratio of performance to price, multicrystalline silicon becomes the main photovoltaic materials. With low cost of the solar cells, it is significant to research and develop casting technology for multicrystalline silicon in solar cells. Origination, principle, advantages and disadvantages of the casting technologies were described for producing multicrystaline silicon ingot, ribbon silicon and film silicon, and the Si structure characteristics of the silicon prepared by different ways were expounded. New casting technologies for multicrystalline silicon were surveyed and prospected.