Solar Cell (Sliver) Sub-Module Formation

• US 20080223429A1
• Filed: 08/09/2005
• Published: 09/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Australian National University
• Original Assignee: Australian National University
• Inventors: Blakers, Andrew William, Everett, Vernie Allan
• Application Number:
  US11/660,006
• Publication Number:
  US 20080223429A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 136/244
• CPC Class Codes: B28D 1/005 Cutting sheet laminae in planes between faces splitting easily splittable material B28D1/322
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01005 Boron [B]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01006 Carbon [C]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01013 Aluminum [Al]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01023 Vanadium [V]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01029 Copper [Cu]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01033 Arsenic [As]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01047 Silver [Ag]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01075 Rhenium [Re]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01077 Iridium [Ir]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01082 Lead [Pb]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/014 Solder alloys
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/09701 Low temperature co-fired ceramic [LTCC]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/10329 Gallium arsenide [GaAs]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/12036 PN diode
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/351 Thermal stress
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0201 comprising specially adapted module bus-bar structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/035281 Shape of the body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/042 PV modules or arrays of single PV cells supporting structures for PV modules H02S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0508 : the interconnection means having a particular shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0512 : made of a particular material or composition of materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0516 : specially adapted for interconnection of back-contact solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0521 : using a gaseous or a liquid coolant, e.g. air flow ventilation, water circulation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/188 : Apparatus specially adapted for automatic interconnection of solar cells in a module
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 : Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 : Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

A solar cell sub-module (100) for a photovoltaic device, including a plurality of elongate solar cells (slivers) (101) mounted in a structure that maintains the elongate solar cells in a longitudinally parallel and generally coplanar configuration, the structure providing one or more conductive pathways (201) electrically interconnecting the elongate solar cells (101). Also claimed are inventions related to releasing elongate substrate from a wafer frame; providing a plurality of mutually spaced elongate storage bins with a particular spacing; dispensing elongate solar cells into an alignment jig and attaching the cells to a substrate; engaging a length of electrical interconnect with an engagement tool having spaced engagement sections and applying a cutting tool; forming an electrical connection in a photovoltaic module with a conductor defining an indirect path between locations to compensate for thermal expansion; maintaining the solar cell orientation of sliver solar cells when releasing them from a wafer frame; engaging only opposing faces of elongate substrates, interconnected by a wafer frame, when releasing them; storing elongate substrate in a stacked configuration with a translation mechanism.

Claims

1. A solar cell sub-module for a photovoltaic device, including a plurality of elongate solar cells mounted in a structure that maintains the elongate solar cells in a longitudinally parallel and generally coplanar configuration, the structure providing one or more conductive pathways electrically interconnecting the elongate solar cells.

2. A solar cell sub-module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the elongate solar cells are mounted to a thermally compatible support to prevent damage to the elongate solar cells or the one or more conductive pathways during a change in temperature.

3. solar cell sub-module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the elongate solar cells and the one or more conductive pathways form the structure.

4. A solar cell sub-module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the elongate solar cells are electrically interconnected in series to increase the output voltage of the solar cell sub-module.

5. A solar cell sub-module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the elongate solar cells are electrically interconnected in parallel to reduce the effect of shadowing on output of the sub-module.

6. A solar cell sub-module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the elongate solar cells are electrically interconnected as groups electrically interconnected in parallel, with the elongate solar cells in each group being electrically interconnected in series.

7. A solar cell sub-module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the elongate solar cells abut one another.

8. A solar cell sub-module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the elongate solar cells are mutually spaced.

9. A solar cell sub-module as claimed in claim 8, wherein each of the elongate solar cells includes two active faces, and the spacing between elongate solar cells is selected on the basis of illumination of the active faces of the elongate solar cells and the number of elongate solar cells in the sub-module.

10. A solar cell sub-module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the structure includes at least one support to which the elongate solar cells are mounted.

11. A solar cell sub-module as claimed in claim 10, wherein the at least one support is compliant to accommodate thermal expansion of the elongate solar cells.

12. A solar cell sub-module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the structure is encapsulated within a transparent encapsulating material.

13. A solar cell sub-module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the structure includes one or more crossbeams to which the elongate solar cells are mounted.

14. A solar cell sub-module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more crossbeams are silicon.

15. A solar cell sub-module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more crossbeams are a polymer, a ceramic, a metal or a glass.

16. A solar cell sub-module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the size of the structure is selected to be substantially the same as the size of a standard solar cell.

17. A solar cell sub-module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the elongate solar cells are mounted on an electrically insulating continuous or semicontinuous support.

18. A solar cell sub-module as claimed in claim 17, wherein the one or more conductive pathways are formed on the electrically insulating support.

19. A solar cell sub-module as claimed in claim 18, wherein the electrically insulating support is substantially silicon.

20. A solar cell sub-module as claimed in claim 18, wherein the electrically insulating support is substantially borosilicate glass, plastic, or ceramic.

21. A solar cell sub-module as claimed in claim 17, wherein the support is mounted to a heat sink.

22. A solar cell sub-module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the elongate solar cells and one or more conductive pathways substantially form the structure.

23. A photovoltaic device including a solar cell sub-module as claimed in claim 22, the device further including a reflector mounted behind the solar cell sub-module to reflect light passing through gaps between the elongate solar cells back towards the elongate solar cells to improve the efficiency of the photovoltaic device.

24. A solar cell sub-module as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the elongate solar cells includes electrically conductive contacts on at least two adjacent surfaces of the solar cell, and the one or more conductive pathways are substantially planar electrically conductive regions that are mounted to the electrically conductive contacts of the elongate solar cells, thereby electrically interconnecting the elongate solar cells.

25. A solar cell sub-module as claimed in claim 1, including a sheet of pliant material mounted to the structure to provide a resilient solar cell sub-module.

26. A solar cell sub-module as claimed in claim 1, including a substantially rigid curved support to which the structure is conformally mounted.

27. A photovoltaic device including a plurality of solar cell sub-modules as claimed in claim 1.

90. A linear concentrator system including a plurality of solar cell sub-modules as claimed in claim 1.

91. A linear concentrator system as claimed in claim 90, wherein the elongate solar cells are electrically connected in series so that the electrical current generated by the elongate solar cells flows substantially in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the linear concentrator system to reduce the series resistance of the elongate solar cells.

92. A linear concentrator system as claimed in claim 90, wherein the solar cell submodules are arranged as closely adjacent rows mounted to a receiver of the linear concentrator system, the rows being parallel to an optical axis of the receiver.

93. A linear concentrator system as claimed in claim 90, including a thermally conducting substrate having a first portion located near an optical axis of the system and a second portion, wherein the elongate solar cells are mounted substantially adjacent to each other on the first portion of the thermally conducting substrate, the second portion of the thermally conducting substrate being actively cooled in so that heat generated by the elongate solar cells is conducted away from the elongate solar cells in a direction substantially perpendicular to the optical axis of the system.

28. A method of forming a solar cell sub-module for a photovoltaic device including the steps of:

mounting a plurality of elongate solar cells in a structure that maintains the elongate solar cells in a substantially longitudinally parallel and generally co-planar configuration; and

establishing one or more conductive pathways extending through the structure to electrically interconnect the elongate solar cells.

29. A method as claimed in claim 28, including mounting the structure to a substantially rigid curved support to provide a curved solar cell sub-module.

30. A method as claimed in claim 29, wherein the substantially rigid curved support is transparent.

31. A method as claimed in claim 30, wherein the substantially rigid curved support is glass.

32. A method as claimed in claim 29, wherein the substantially rigid curved support is a curved extruded aluminium receiver for a linear concentrator.

33. A method as claimed in claim 28, including conformally mounting the structure to a substantially rigid planar support and deforming the resulting assembly to provide a non-planar solar cell sub-module.

34. A method as claimed in claim 28, including processing at least a portion of one or more faces of each of the elongate solar cells in the solar cell sub-module.

35. A method as claimed in claim 34, wherein said processing includes depositing a coating on at least a portion of the one or more faces.

36. A method as claimed in claim 35, wherein said coating includes at least one of an anti-reflection coating, a passivation coating, and metallisation.

37. A substrate release process, including:

receiving a wafer including a plurality of elongate substrates interconnected by lateral wafer frame portions, the wafer further including proximal and distal wafer frame portions;

removing at least one of said proximal and distal wafer frame portions to expose a face of a corresponding one of said elongate substrates;

engaging at least one of the lateral wafer frame portions to secure the plurality of elongate substrates, without engaging the edges of the plurality of elongate substrates;

applying elongate substrate engaging means to the exposed face of the exposed elongate substrate to engage the exposed elongate substrate; and

moving the elongate substrate engaging means away from the plurality of elongate substrates to release the exposed elongate substrate from the remaining elongate substrates.

38. A substrate release process as claimed in claim 37, including storing the released elongate substrate at the top of a stack of elongate substrates in an elongate substrate dispensing unit.

39. A substrate release process as claimed in claim 37, wherein the plurality of elongate substrates are elongate solar cells.

40. A substrate release process, including:

receiving a plurality of wafers, each of the wafers including a plurality of elongate substrates interconnected by lateral wafer frame portions, the wafers further including proximal and distal wafer frame portions;

removing at least one of said proximal and distal wafer frame portions from each of the wafers to expose a face of a corresponding one of said elongate substrates of each wafer;

engaging at least one of the lateral wafer frame portions of each wafer to secure the plurality of elongate substrates, without engaging the edges of the plurality of elongate substrates;

wherein the engaged wafers are arranged so that the exposed elongate substrates are presented as an array of mutually spaced elongate substrates.

41. A substrate release process as claimed in claim 40, further including:

applying elongate substrate engaging means to the exposed elongate substrates to engage the exposed elongate substrates; and

moving the elongate substrate engaging means away from the plurality of elongate substrates to release the engaged elongate substrates from the remaining elongate substrates whilst maintaining the separation between adjacent exposed elongate substrates and the relative orientation of the engaged elongate substrates.

42. A substrate release process as claimed in claim 41, wherein the number of wafers and the separation between the engaged wafers are selected on the basis of an arrangement of elongate substrates in a sub-module to be assembled from the engaged elongate substrates.

43. A substrate release process as claimed in claim 41, wherein the elongate substrate engaging means includes a vacuum tool.

44. A substrate release process as claimed in claim 41, wherein the elongate substrate engaging means includes a static electricity attraction tool.

45. A substrate release process as claimed in claim 41, wherein the elongate substrate engaging means includes a substantially rigid member to which an adhesive has been applied.

46. A substrate release process as claimed in claim 45, wherein the adhesive is a reusable adhesive.

47. A substrate release process as claimed in claim 45, wherein the adhesive has been applied at locations corresponding to the spacing between the exposed elongate substrates.

48. A substrate release process as claimed in claim 45, wherein the substantially rigid member includes a component of a solar cell sub-module to be assembled from the engaged elongate substrates.

49. A substrate release process as claimed in claim 48, wherein the component includes a crossbeam of the sub-module.

50. A substrate removal process as claimed in claim 41, including attaching the engaged elongate substrates to a second plurality of elongate substrates to form an elongate substrate sub-module.

51. A substrate removal process as claimed in claim 41, including moving the engaged elongate substrates to a storage unit and releasing the engaged elongate substrates for storage in the storage unit.

52. A substrate removal process as claimed in claim 51, wherein the storage unit is adapted to store elongate substrates in mutually spaced stacks of elongate substrates.

53. A substrate removal process as claimed in claim 51, wherein the storage unit is adapted to expose at least a portion of a face of elongate substrates at the top of each stack.

54. A substrate removal process as claimed in claim 52, wherein the spacing between each stack matches the spacing between the engaged elongate substrates.

55. A substrate removal process as claimed in claim 52, wherein storage unit includes a plurality of mutually spaced storage bins, the spacing between the storage bins matching the spacing between the engaged elongate substrates.

56. An elongate substrate dispensing process, including:

providing a plurality of mutually spaced elongate substrate storage bins, each of said elongate substrate storage bins having a stack of elongate substrates stored therein, the spacing between the elongate substrate storage bins being selected to provide a desired spacing of elongate substrates in a solar cell sub-module to be assembled from the stored elongate substrates.

57. A process for forming a solar cell sub-module for a photovoltaic device including:

dispensing elongate solar cells from an elongate substrate dispensing unit into respective slots of an alignment jig; and

attaching the elongate solar cells to a substrate, crossbeam or electrical interconnects to form the solar cell sub-module.

58. An elongate substrate handling system, including:

an elongate substrate dispensing unit for storing and dispensing one or more stacks of elongate substrates; and

an alignment jig having mutually spaced slots for receiving respective elongate substrates dispensed from the storage unit.

59. An elongate substrate handling system as claimed in claim 58, wherein the elongate substrate dispensing unit includes a plurality of mutually spaced storage bins, each of the storage bins adapted to store a corresponding stack of elongate substrates.

60. An elongate substrate handling system as claimed in claim 58, wherein the spacing between the slots is selected to correspond to the spacing of elongate substrates in a sub-module to be assembled from the elongate substrates.

61. An elongate substrate handling system as claimed in claim 58, wherein each slot of the alignment jog includes a wall adapted to dispense a corresponding elongate substrate from the dispensing unit.

62. A process for forming a solar cell sub-module for a photovoltaic device including:

engaging a length of electrical interconnect with an engagement tool having a plurality of mutually spaced engagement sections so that only mutually spaced regions of the electrical interconnect are engaged by the tool; and

applying a cutting tool to locations of the electrical interconnect between the engaged regions to cut the engaged electrical interconnect into corresponding lengths of the electrical interconnect.

63. A process as claimed in claim 62, further including deforming free ends of each length of electrical interconnect so that the deformed free ends are substantially orthogonal to the engaged regions of each length of electrical interconnect.

64. A process as claimed in claim 63, wherein the free ends of each length of electrical interconnect are deformed in substantially the same direction.

65. A process as claimed in claim 63, wherein the free ends of each length of electrical interconnect are deformed in substantially opposite directions.

66. A process as claimed in claim 63, including:

applying the engaged lengths of electrical interconnect to an array of mutually spaced elongate substrates; and

attaching the deformed ends of each electrical interconnect to corresponding contacts of the elongate substrates, wherein the spacing between the deformed ends of adjacent electrical interconnects correspond to the spacing between adjacent elongate substrates of the array, thereby forming an array of electrically interconnected elongate substrates.

67. A process for forming an electrical connection in a photovoltaic module, including attaching an electrical conductor to mutually spaced locations of a support, said electrical conductor defining an indirect path between said locations to accommodate different rates of thermal expansion of said electrical conductor and said support, and thereby to maintain an electrical connection between said locations.

68. A process as claimed in claim 67, wherein said indirect path includes one or more corrugations of said electrical conductor.

69. A process as claimed in claim 67, wherein said indirect path includes first regions of said electrical conductor shaped to facilitate attachment to said support between second regions of said electrical conductor including one or more corrugations.

70. A process as claimed in claim 69, wherein said first regions are substantially planar.

71. A process as claimed in claim 67, wherein said electrical connector includes a bus bar for said photovoltaic module.

72. A process as claimed in claim 71, wherein said bus bar is adapted to form electrical connections between solar cells of said photovoltaic module.

73. A process as claimed in claim 72, wherein said solar cells of said photovoltaic module include elongate solar cells.

117. A system having components for executing the steps of claim 67.

74. A process for forming an electrical connector for a photovoltaic module, including deforming a length of an electrically conductive substance to define an indirect path between at least two mutually spaced attachment locations along said length to accommodate different rates of thermal expansion of said electrically conductive substance and a support, and thereby to maintain an electrical connection between said attachment locations when at least part of said length of said electrically conductive substance is attached to said support at said mutually spaced attachment locations.

75. A process as claimed in claim 74, wherein said length of said electrically conductive substance is in the form of a wire or a sheet.

76. A process as claimed in claim 74, wherein said length of said electrically conductive substance is in the form of a sheet, and the process includes cutting said sheet along a direction substantially parallel to the length direction to form a plurality of electrical connectors.

77. A process as claimed in claim 74, further including cutting the deformed length of electrically conductive substance into predetermined lengths to form a plurality of electrical connectors.

78. A process as claimed in claim 74, wherein the process includes further deforming the deformed length of electrically conductive substance so that the electrically conductive substance and said support are pressed together during production of said photovoltaic module.

79. A process as claimed in claim 78, wherein said step of further deforming includes rolling the deformed length into a substantially circular shape.

80. A process as claimed in claim 74, wherein said electrically conductive substance includes a metal.

81. A process as claimed in claim 74, wherein said electrically conductive substance is copper.

118. A system having components for executing the steps of claim 74.

82. A process for forming electrical connections between elongate solar cells in a photovoltaic module, including attaching a bus bar to mutually spaced attachment locations of a substrate, said bus bar defining an indirect path between said locations to accommodate different rates of thermal expansion of said bus bar and said substrate, and thereby to maintain an electrical connection between said attachment locations.

83. A process as claimed in claim 82, wherein said bus bar includes one or more corrugations.

84. A process as claimed in claim 82, wherein said bus bar includes one or more corrugated regions separated by respective second regions adapted to facilitate attachment of said bus bar to said substrate.

85. A process as claimed in claim 84, wherein said second regions are substantially planar.

86. A process as claimed in claim 82, wherein the substantially planar second regions are convex towards said substrate.

119. A system having components for executing the steps of claim 82.

87. (canceled)

88. An electrical connector for a photovoltaic module, said electrical connector being adapted for attachment to mutually spaced attachment locations of a support, said electrical conductor defining an indirect path between said locations to accommodate different rates of thermal expansion of said electrical conductor and said support, and thereby to maintain an electrical connection between said attachment locations.

89. A system for forming electrical connectors for a photovoltaic module, the system including a pair of rotating rollers having mutually opposed projections and recesses adapted to deform a length of an electrically conductive substance fed between said rollers to define an indirect path between at least two mutually spaced attachment locations along said length to accommodate different rates of thermal expansion of said electrically conductive substance and a support, and thereby to maintain an electrical connection between said attachment locations when at least part of said length of said electrically conductive substance is attached to said support at said mutually spaced attachment locations.

94. A sliver removal process, including:

receiving a plurality of mutually spaced sliver solar cells interconnected by one or more wafer frame portions, each of said sliver solar cells having outwardly facing edges having respective polarities and solar cell faces perpendicular to said edges; and

releasing the sliver solar cells from the one or more wafer frame portions in a substantially simultaneous manner whilst maintaining the relative orientation of said solar cell edges to provide a plurality of released sliver solar cells whose edges of a selected polarity have the same orientation.

120. A sliver removal apparatus having components for executing the steps of claim 94.

95. A sliver removal process, including:

receiving a plurality of slivers interconnected and maintained in a mutually spaced arrangement by one or more connecting portions, each of said slivers having outwardly facing edges and faces perpendicular to said edges, the edges of each sliver including a first edge and a second edge, wherein the first edges of said slivers have a first orientation; and

releasing the slivers from the one or more connecting portions in a substantially simultaneous manner whilst maintaining the relative orientation of said edges to provide a plurality of released slivers wherein the first edges of the released slivers have the same orientation.

96. A sliver removal process as claimed in claim 95, wherein the slivers include sliver solar cells, the edges of each sliver solar cell having opposite polarities.

97. A sliver removal process as claimed in claim 95, wherein said step of releasing includes:

engaging the edges of said slivers;

removing the one or more connecting portions from the engaged slivers to provide a plurality of released and mutually spaced slivers; and

disengaging the mutually spaced slivers to conflate said slivers into a substantially contiguous stack of slivers.

98. A sliver removal process as claimed in claim 95, wherein said step of releasing includes:

engaging the one or more connecting portions; and

successively removing each of said slivers from said one or more connecting portions in a substantially simultaneous manner to form a conflated stack of slivers.

99. A sliver removal process as claimed in claim 95, wherein said step of releasing includes:

engaging the one or more connecting portions;

engaging the edges of said slivers; and

removing said slivers from said one or more connecting portions to provide a plurality of released and mutually spaced slivers.

100. A sliver removal process as claimed in claim 99, wherein said step of engaging includes engaging the edges of said slivers with adhesive tape.

101. A sliver removal process as claimed in claim 99, further including:

placing the released and mutually spaced slivers into a storage device; and

disengaging the edges of said slivers to form a conflated stack of slivers.

121. A sliver removal apparatus having components for executing the steps of claim 95.

102. (canceled)

103. A sliver removal apparatus, including:

a clamp having two opposing portions for engaging respective edges or one or more connecting portions of a plurality of mutually spaced slivers interconnected by said one or more connecting portions, each of said slivers having faces perpendicular to said edges, said faces having a relative orientation;

wherein said two opposing portions include alignment slots for receiving respective guides of a sliver storage device in a direction substantially transverse to longitudinal axes of said slivers.

104. A sliver removal apparatus as claimed in claim 103, wherein said two opposing portions include compliant surfaces for engaging said edges of said slivers without damaging said edges.

105. A sliver removal apparatus as claimed in claim 104, wherein said compliant surfaces are at least partially adhesive.

106. A sliver removal apparatus, including a sliver storage device having a plurality of elongated guides for mating with respective alignment slots in a clamp engaging one or more connecting portions or edges of a plurality of mutually spaced slivers interconnected by said one or more connecting portions, said edges having a relative orientation;

wherein said elongated guides are arranged adjacent and substantially perpendicular to opposing edges of said slivers when said guides are mated with said slots.

107. A sliver removal apparatus as claimed in claim 106, wherein the sliver storage device includes a biased retaining plate for retaining released slivers under compression.

108. A sliver removal apparatus as claimed in claim 106, wherein the sliver storage device includes a base adapted to fracture said slivers at or near ends of said slivers when said base is pressed into said slivers.

109. A sliver removal clamp having two opposing portions for engaging one or more connecting portions of a plurality of mutually spaced slivers interconnected by one or more connecting portions, each of said slivers having outwardly directed edges and faces perpendicular to said edges;

wherein said two opposing portions include openings to allow edges of said slivers to be engaged to allow substantially simultaneous removal of said slivers from said one or more connecting portions whilst retaining relative orientation of said edges.

110. A process for releasing elongate substrates from a wafer incorporating a plurality of elongate substrates interconnected by wafer frame portions, including:

engaging only opposing faces of each elongate substrate, the engaged faces being in the same plane as the wafer surfaces;

removing the wafer frame portions to disconnect the elongate substrates from one another; and

disengaging one of the faces of each elongate substrate, the other face of each elongate substrate remaining engaged.

111. A process for releasing elongate substrates from a wafer incorporating an array of elongate substrates interconnected by wafer frame portions, including:

engaging only selected non-adjacent ones of the elongate substrates and disconnecting the engaged substrates from the other elongate substrates in the array; and

depositing the engaged elongate substrates in respective mutually spaced storage bins of a storage unit, the spacing between the storage bins corresponding to the spacing between the engaged elongate substrates.

112. A process as claimed in claim 111, further including:

engaging selected non-adjacent remaining ones of the elongate substrates and disconnecting the engaged substrates from the other elongate substrates in the array; and

depositing the engaged elongate substrates in respective ones of the mutually spaced storage bins to form respective mutually spaced stacks of elongated substrates.

113. A process for releasing elongate substrates from a wafer incorporating an array of elongate substrates interconnected by wafer frame portions, including:

(i) engaging a selected one of the elongate substrates and disconnecting the engaged substrate from the other elongate substrates in the array;

(ii) depositing the engaged elongate substrate in a storage unit; and

(iii) repeating steps (i) and (ii) to form a stack of elongated substrates in the storage unit.

114. A storage apparatus for storing elongate substrates in a stacked configuration, the storage apparatus including a translation mechanism for translating a stack of stored elongate substrates to allow receipt of a subsequently received elongate substrate for storage in the storage apparatus.

115. A storage apparatus as claimed in claim 114, wherein the translation mechanism includes at least two pairs of engagement members that engage the edges of the stack and translate the stack by a predetermined distance.

116. A storage apparatus as claimed in claim 115, wherein the storage apparatus is adapted to receive elongate substrates at the bottom of a stack of stored elongate substrates;

and the engagement members are adapted to disengage the edges of the stack following translation to conflate the newly received elongate substrate with the other stored substrates in the stack.