PV Material Award

Consumables

Energy Usage Award

PV Application Award

PV Process Equipment Award

PV Process Subsystem/Monitoring Award

Silicon Innovation Award

Device Integration Award

Thin Film Innovation Award

To Be Announced

Sputtering Materials, Inc.
High-density casted CIG (CuInGa) targets

Sputtering Materials, Inc. offers high-density casted CIG (CuInGa) targets for thin film deposition in rotatable and planar form factors for thin film solar production. The casted targets offer high-density (99% +) materials that offer thin film technicians greater control and better material utilization in thin film deposition, physical vapour deposition and sputtering system processing.

Sputtering Materials has invested over three years of research and development in creating a process for casting CIG and CIGS onto planar and rotatable backplates. Casted targets enable a high level of total material utilization, because the increased density, target life and control are extended as well as the fact that the targets are reclaimed and reused to make new targets. There is a significant difference between powder metallurgy targets and casted CIGS targets; casted target processes can reuse the spent material by machining clean material off spent targets and re-casting it to make new targets.

This new innovative casting technology also works with high purity materials such as In, InSn, Sn, Zn, Al, SAC, and others. The nature of high-density and high-purity material lends itself to be cleanly reclaimed and re-casted into new targets.

Virtual Industries Inc.,
Molded Solar /Wafer tips

Virtual Industries Inc., a supplier of manual vacuum handling solutions, introduced in 2008 a line of angled tips designed for manual handling of solar cells and wafers. The PEEK material selected for the molded solar/wafer tips is an industry standard. This material has excellent resistance to most chemicals. The no-sloughing carbon renders the tips ESD -safe. These tips handle temperatures up to 212°F (100°C). The 30° angle allows pick-and-place of coin stacked solar cells.

There are a variety of complete kits available that include the tip and vacuum handle.

Pasan SA
CT 801 Cell Tester

The CT 801 Cell Tester includes in the same compact architecture a single-flash xenon light source, an automatic sliding contact frame, a test chuck with interchangeable plates to fit any cell configuration, even cells with back-contacts like the Sun-Power A-300, a calibrated reference cell, and a Panel-PC type computer.

To become a fully featured cell testing unit, it needs to be connected to an external electronic load and flash generator, itself included in a 19“ 6U rack. Its single-flash technology gives a negligible heating on cell junction level, in the tenths of a degree range, much lower than continuous-light testers, so the most accurate I/V curve determination can be achieved. Its active light control ensures an accurate light level within 1 % during all flash duration of 4 ms, so there is no need for irradiance correction of measured values.

A simple ambient temperature probe allows for thermal correction of results, ensuring accurate values even in the case of temperature variations during the day or from day to day. The lamp assembly includes our patented light-uniformization device to allow less than 1 % ununiformity over the tested cell. This is particularly important with multicrystalline cells in which some zones may be more efficient than others giving unconsistent results on cell testers with bad light uniformity. The lamp also includes proper filtering to ensure true Class A spectral distribution. The innovative contacts design uses single-wires made of special nickel- copper alloy.

This stainless alloy is delivered in hard, springquality type and combines very low resistance as well as good elasticity to apply pressure on cell to be measured. Contacts disposition allows slight mechanical wiping to self-clean the contact region. The single-wire contact design is much more efficient than the usual pump-type contacts in which contact resistances may vary from a few milliohms to hundred of milliohms and necessitating ten or more contacts to statistically lower this effect. In standard, the tester is delivered with six contacts pairs; four for current and two for voltage.

This can be extended up to nine contacts pairs to match large cells with three metallization bands. In manual operation, the unit is delivered with a pedal switch to allow hand-free working. When the cell is roughly positioned on the chuck, the operator actions the pedal switch. An air blowing system will accurately position the cell on the chuck, then the contacts move down, the flash is fired, the measurement is taken during flash and the contacts move up automatically.

The result is then displayed on the screen. Cells can be sorted according to predetermined classes and results are also available in up to 16 classes on a potential-free interface for signalization or to drive an external cell sorter. On special demand, programs including statistics and lot management can be provided. On option, but at the expense of a longer measurement cycle, shunt resistance can be measured on dark mode. Otherwise, series and shunt resistances values will be approximated from slopes of the I/V curve near Voc and Isc.

Reis Robotics
Fully automatic laser soldering procedure

The system supplier for photovoltaic module lines, Reis Robotics, has already implemented a newly developed laser soldering procedure for practical use with several customers.

Photovoltaic manufacturers are increasingly anxious to fully exploit the automation potential of their production in order to deal with the increasing demands for lower prices. REIS ROBOTICS as system supplier with its subsidiary Reis Lasertec as laser welding specialist has been successful for some years in the practical implementation of these very complex application tasks.

A newly developed laser soldering method ensures further increases in quality, shortened cycle times and reductions in manual rework. An integral process controller monitors and documents the production process.

In doing this, it is possible to concentrate the heat input such that soldering can be done directly on the EVA foil. With direct soldering on the foil, unnecessary multiple handling of the strings during the pre-process is avoided.

The integrated process control offers further advantages - it monitors the soldering of each joint individually and the data from this can be transferred and saved in a database for later documentation and quality control. Furthermore, faulty solder joints are reported directly via a monitor at a subsequent work station so that a worker recognizes these immediately and can manually resolder.

• robot system optimized for soldering of cross contacts
• soldering of the cross contacts with the cell contacts directly on the layup consisting of glass and EVA-foil
• low mechanical strain of the soldering joint
• exact control of the soldering temperature and capacity
• optimization of quality
• high traction forces > 10 N, determined acc. to DIN EN 50461:2006
• high speed soldering system
• integrated process monitoring with evaluation of the soldering quality
• determination of the soldering points by means of an integrated image processing system, process safety with regard to position tolerances of the components and soldering points
• with FDA-permission for use in the USA

Robert Bürkle GmbH
Multi-Opening Lamination Line Ypsator

The Ypsator is a Multi-Opening Lamination Line for the production of glass-glass modules (thin-film modules) onto several openings from Bürkle, the pioneer of the multi-opening technology. The modules are laminated in a 3-step process. In the first step pre-lamination via vacuum is made, in the second step the final lamination is done via hydraulics, in the 3rd step the module is cooled down in the cooling unit.

The final lamination in the second step, the second press, the modules are laminated with very low stress. This reduces the glass breakage/rupture. This means low recess and thus lower material costs. An additional advantage is the lamination on several openings. Thus the multi-opening lamination line is very space-saving compared to conventional single-opening laminators.

SOLITEM Group
Solar Cooling System

SOLITEM energy supply systems, concentrating solar thermal energy with new roof applicable parabolic trough collectors for cooling, steam generation and heating applications, are suitable for the integration into existing energy supply systems. Conventional energy sources, such as electrical energy for compression cooling or fuel for heat generation, are substituted directly while the systems are operated at high temperatures and efficiencies.

Concentrating the solar energy, the operation at higher temperatures is possible. The whole process has an improved efficiency in comparison to other technologies. The possibility to yield more cooling energy due to operation at a higher COP is enabled directly. Normal flat collectors reach a maximum temperature of 120 °C and can feed a one-stage absorption chiller. They have a coefficient of performance (COP) of 0.5. By contrast, SOLITEM's special parabolic trough collectors reach 200-350°C, to operate two stage absorption chillers which reach a COP of up to 1.5. These systems can generate the same quantity of cooling energy as conventional systems, but with 60% less requirement for installation area and a 60% lower expenditure of materials. This means an additional saving of resources (materials and energy), so that the SOLITEM system is economically competitive against conventional systems.

For an optimal exploitation of the solar radiation, the collectors are movable and equipped with a computer operated tracking system. This function is a novelty, too. Another feature of our collectors is their suitability for roof mounting. Thus, free roof surfaces can be used and it is not necessary to destroy nature.

The system is extremely flexible and offers solar cooling, heating and steam generation for a wide range of applications.

It took Dr. Lokurlu about 12 years from the idea of the product to the application of the development. With a new technology Solitem opens a new era of regenerative energies. Reversing the sun into a cooling agent associated with energy savings and significant CO2 reductions.

Hot water can now be used to directly drive double effect absorption chillers achieving a coefficient of performance of up to 1.5 – three times more than conventional systems -, which leads to a 100% gain in efficiency without the contribution of CO2 emission. Such systems can be applied for air conditioning or heating, but also for generation of process steam for industrial purposes.

Saving lots of energy costs and avoiding production of tons of CO2, Solitem systems are an effective weapon in the fight against the climate change.

Dr. Schenk GmbH Industriemesstechnik
Metrology Solutions for PV Thin Film Solar Modules

To stay competitive, manufacturers of thin-film PV modules are forced to optimize production processes and maximize module quality and yield. In large scale module-productions with its fully automated manufacturing lines, this can only be achieved by installing in-line metrology systems. Dr. Schenk's SolarInspect and SolarMeasure systems enable quality control and provide important feedback on individual steps throughout the entire production process. Dr. Schenk's industry proven metrology solutions have become essential equipment of today's PV module manufacturing.

The Dr. Schenk SolarInspect series has been designed to fulfill the special requirements throughout the production of thin film solar modules. These turnkey vision systems offer reliable quality control throughout the running production process. In addition, continuous monitoring of the production process allows timely corrective action to be taken when process deviations appear. Fully integrated after all relevant production steps from the incoming glass through to the finished solar module, the SolarInspect systems detect, pinpoint and accurately classify local defects or irregularities on the surface, coating and lamination layers as well as on the edges. The user-friendly graphical interface provides clear diagrams and analyzing tools, displaying detailed defect information together with high resolution images.

With the technology series SolarMeasure Schenk has complemented its product range with precise and reliable measurement solutions that focus on the physical and electronic characteristics of solar panels.

SolarMeasure products provide e.g.: monitoring of thickness, resistivity and haze of the modules' TCO/MO layer; control of the scribing process; electrical insulation tests in order to detect shorts between cells; or to measure the PV module's dimensions, warpage or drill hole parameters.

• optimize their processes and gain higher yield
• improve material quality and by this add to a higher module performance
• save production costs - a vital component of PV manufacturing especially in times of financial straits

The basis of these benefits is the "total-solution character" of Dr. Schenk's metrology systems. Dr. Schenk offers inspection and measurement systems for all involved process steps from one hand. This enables customers to evaluate and correlate metrology data from indirect (optical) and direct (electrical) measurements along the line and perceive an early feedback and a comprehensive picture of the entire manufacturing process. Only by this global evaluation potentials for process optimization become revealed. SolarInspect and SolarMeasure solutions are widely recognised as leading in the market of inspecting thin-film PV module. More than 50 systems installed world wide prove that Dr. Schenk's metrology solutions are integral part of today's manufacturing processes.

Sungevity's
Remote Solar Sales Model

Sungevity is unique in two major ways. First, Sungevity is offering solar in a more affordable manner using software that remotely calculates not only the area of the roof including pitch and direction, but the amount of shading and sun the roof receives. Second, Sungevity proves a remote solar sales model, a concept that is changing the way the traditional solar industry works.

Instead of calling to schedule an installer to physically come to your home and climb up on your roof, you can log onto Sungevity's website, enter your address and monthly electricity usage, and within 24 hours, get a firm quote for installation and an estimate of your roof's solar potential.

Sungevity's web-based model reduces costs, improves accuracy and increases efficiency because it reduces the amount of site visits a solar installer will have to make, and it can offer many more solar estimates in much less time.

In 2008, Sungevity provided 3,322 solar quotes which would, in the conventional way of visiting a home to complete an estimate, take 4.3 years.

With Sungevity's model, more people are being educated and informed and more people are buying solar and doing their part to make an environmental difference.

Sungevity is doing more than providing solar education and solar panels to people across California. Sungevity has created a new, more efficient, industry-changing means to provide solar power. In bringing quotes and sales to an online environment, Sungevity has found a way to reduce inefficient, labor-intensive site visits, and has proved that people are as willing to buy solar online as they are other major commodities. Often compared to Dell for reducing a rather complex process into a simple online exchange; Sungevity has helped bring the previously abstract idea of solar to the fingertips of thousands of homeowners in less than a year's time.

Zond,Inc/ Zpulser, LLC
The Zpulser Plasma generator/Zond MPP Technology

The Zpulser plasma generator is the first commercially available power supply to use Zond Inc.'s new MPP (modulated pulse power) technology for advanced PVD thin film coating processes. The Zpulser is a special high pulse power plasma generator that allows control of its output to a PVD system in a specific method. This method allows users to improve and control the film properties of PVD coatings and increase the throughput of PVD systems. Analysis of thin film coatings made using the MPP method shows substantial improvement over current technologies in every measurement category, including film density, hardness, stress, adhesion, smoothness, and uniformity.

Zpulsers can be easily retrofitted into existing PVD systems and tools to improve their performance. Several major PVD system suppliers have already integrated Zpulsers into their tools. Zpulsers can also be designed into totally new systems optimized for MPP to make next generation films and processes. Because of the Zpulser's ability to generate and control the ionization of the target material in the PVD process, difficult processes such as barrier and seed layer formation in TSVs (through silicon vias) and large area substrates with high uniformity are now possible.

KLA-Tencor, ICOS Division
Tune 1000 Yield optimization tool

AOI systems are commonly used in the PV industry to gate product quality and monitor processes. Such systems build on an equipment engineers' expertise to set inspection limits, quality thresholds, etc., -- decisions which have a very large impact on overall yield. Yet these engineers are short of tools to judge the impact of any setting, or change in setting, they want to implement on such AOI system on the production line's bottomline. Typically they act on a trial and error scheme, with a very limited set of samples, to judge the impact of the change they want to implement. The outcome is never conclusive and has to be tested on small production runs, and is typically optimized in several iterations. Each of these is costly in lost production time and material.

Tune 1000 enables engineers to gather a large set of production data for later analysis. At any time they can alter inspection recipes, detection criteria, classification schemes, etc., and run these off-line on their reference set. Virtually instantaneous feedback is provided as to what the impact of their change is on production. If beneficial such change can then be deployed over the various AOI systems in use on the lines.

By doing so no materials, operator- and/or production time is being wasted.
Tune 1000 is available for the PVI-6 inspection modules from KLA-Tencor's ICOS division.
Several companies have inspection modules and some a form of CMM, but Tune 1000 is something 'out of the ordinary'.

DEK Solar
PVP1200 screen printing platform

The PVP1200 is a breakthrough modular screen printing platform designed to deliver the high yields and throughput rates required by the solar processing sector for high-accuracy metallization of crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells.

All the key features of the PVP1200 that provide its clear competitive edge come from its innovative design which allows DEK to deploy its acclaimed lean manufacturing strategy during production. This permits lead times of weeks, rather than months, allowing manufacturers to ramp up productivity fast.

The product is exceptionally compact - an increasingly critical consideration in factory floor real estate utilization for maximum ROI. This means the printing process operates at approximately waist height, offering clear visibility and fast print area access for easy maintenance. With its tiny footprint, manufacturers can have two or more PVP1200 printers occupying no more space than a single competitive system.

Fast and modular, the PVP1200 delivers throughput of 1200 solar cells per hour and maintains a six-sigma process capability at an accuracy of ±12.5 microns for maximum repeatability. Dedicated handling for thin wafers minimizes breakages during metallization to maximize yield and cost-of-ownership, while high-speed machine vision ensures perfect alignment.

The driving force of DEK's PV1200 line; the PVP1200 is part of a complete metallization solution along with purpose-designed loader/unloader, buffering, in-line inspection and wafer flipping systems. The PV1200 is a turnkey solar cell metallization solution perfectly balanced to operate at optimal throughput and incorporating advanced process technologies to ensure maximum yield and minimum waste. Enhancing the offering even further, DEK's proven manufacturing model positions it perfectly to work in partnership with equipment suppliers and system integrators to support further additions to the line such as drying and firing technologies.

• 1200 solar cells per hour throughput
• Six-sigma process capability at a resolution of ±12.5 microns
• Compact footprint increases factory floor real estate utilization and ROI
• Fast and easy scalability for changing market demands
• Innovative design offers rapid print area access for easy maintenance
• High-speed machine vision for perfect alignment accuracy
• Advanced handling technologies minimize breakages and optimize yield
• Short lead-times enable manufacturers to ramp up productivity quickly
• Modularity future-proofs production flexibility

Honeywell
PowerShield PV325

Honeywell's ‘PowerShield' PV325, is designed to provide greater levels of protection to photovoltaic solar cells and modules that are located in more hostile environments. The material is UV-, moisture- and weather-resistant, and designed to also withstand the electrical load produced by the modules, which can operate at up to 1,000 volts of electricity. The material was developed primarily for rigid PV modules, which are specifically designed to feed power into a utility or local power grid.

The reflective white material is based on Honeywell's high-performance barrier film technology. The dielectric, or insulator material, has a traditional five-layer design that includes two outer protective layers based on ethylene-chlorotrifluoroethylene (ECTFE) fluoropolymer film and a core polyethylene terephthalate (PET) layer, as well as two inner bonding layers of proprietary adhesive material. The design is an alternative to traditional backing systems based on poly-vinyl fluoride (PVF).

Silicon Genesis
PolyMax: Kerf-Free Wafering Technology.

Silicon Genesis has successfully produced solar substrates for the PV industry using its ‘kerf-free' wafering process technology called ‘PolyMax'. In addition to saving poly, the wafers are claimed to be significantly more resistant to breakage than conventional wafers using its proprietary equipment.

There are two primary types of solar cells - - thin film and thick film. The thin film cells have excellent silicon utilisation, but suffer from poor conversion efficiency. The thick films have typically high conversion efficiencies, but require excessive amounts of precious silicon. SiGen's layer transfer technology provides for thin films with good efficiencies. SiGen's layer transfer process is a ‘green' process since there is no sawing, grinding or other mechanical thinning of wafers. Today silicon is the major (approx 60%) cost component of solar cells. With SiGen's layer transfer process, the cost of producing solar cells with high efficiencies will be dramatically reduced, further stimulating an already exploding market.

By eliminating sawing losses, the PolyMax equipment set can substantially reduce the amount of polysilicon used within the ingot to wafer manufacturing steps and also eliminate some of the costly consumables in today's wafer manufacturing. The kerf-free nature of the PolyMax system is claimed to halve the silicon feedstock material required to manufacture the same amount of MW capacity per year. First targeted to process monocrystalline silicon to produce high-efficiency silicon solar cells, the equipment is expected to help the PV industry reach grid parity while simultaneously relaxing the shortage of polysilicon feedstock. The company has produced 50-micron thick, full-size 125mm wafer samples utilising engineering equipment with excellent mechanical and electrical characteristics. First targeted to process monocrystalline silicon to produce high-efficiency silicon solar cells, the equipment is expected to help the PV industry reach grid parity while simultaneously relaxing the shortage of polysilicon feedstock.

XeroCoat Technology
XeroCoat anti-reflective coating

The XeroCoat anti-reflective coatings claim to increase conversion efficiency and consequently, the power output of solar systems, while being of low cost. Photovoltaic modules suffer from reduced conversion efficiency even before the sun's light reaches the solar cells. This is because the solar module's protective cover glass reflects some of the incident light. For typical glass panels, depending on the time of day, 4% to 15% and more of the incoming light is lost from reflections and, thus, is not available to generate electricity. Applying an anti-reflective coating to the cover glass of the module will reduce these reflections and increase the module's output power. Current commercial PV technologies convert 10%-20% of the incoming light to electricity. The same module with a suitable anti-reflective coating can deliver an additional 0.3%-0.6% power conversion. A product achieving higher conversion efficiency in a cost-effective manner, can make solar modules more affordable.

By using the XeroCoat anti-reflective coating on a photovoltaic module, the solar energy reaching the solar cells is claimed to increase by as much as 3% at noon and by as much as 6% at early morning and evening hours. Module makers can expect a 3% increase in power output on a peak watt (Wp) basis, and a 4% increase in energy produced on a kilowatt-hour (kWhr) basis, resulting in the equivalent of a solar cell efficiency gain of approximately 0.5-0.75% points, without modification.

Using a non-toxic, recyclable coating materials and a low energy manufacturing process it also meets IEC 61215 module test standards and exceeds current industry standards for abrasion resistance.

ACI-ecotec GmbH & Co. KG
Increased productivity through automated wet wafer separation

ACI-ecotec GmbH & Co. KG developed the first wet wafer separator. That system, now on its 3rd revision and currently in use with many key wafer manufacturers, has proven to be an economical, fast and reliable solution for separating pre-cleaned, raw wet solar wafers from the wire saw, for inline or batch processing. The system is designed and has proven to offer, fast, safe and reliable wet wafer separation offering a very fast return of investment for automation at this crucial wafer handling step.

Solar wafers from pre-cleaned wet wafer stacks direct from the wire saw need to be separated from the sawn stack for the subsequent cleaning process. The wafers are held together by fluid retention of wire saw coolant and waste silicon carbide making them difficult to manually separate without a compromise of speed against breakage. The market cost per wafer is dropping, additionally wafer thicknesses are getting smaller and breakages are increasing through manual wafer handling, consequently manufacturers need to compensate through the higher production yields of automation.

The advantages for automaton at this step are quite clear; firstly to provide a higher throughput of wafers per operator, and secondly to provide a lower breakage rate per operator. The ecoSplit is a separation system that offers a very short ROI and a low COO by providing a totally safe, proven, and fast mechanical method of separating wafers into process carriers for batch processing; or to 5-6 output lanes for inline processing. The patented singulator module offers a solution for both multi-crystalline and mono-crystalline wafers and is user configured for 125, 156 and 210mm wafers over a very short changeover time. A spraying system ensures wafers are kept wet throughout separation and during transportation through the system. There is also an automatic rejection lane for wafers out of thickness tolerance, which enables continuous operation.

The market cost per wafer is dropping, additionally wafer thicknesses are getting smaller and breakages are increasing through manual wafer handling, consequently manufacturers need to compensate through the higher production yields of automation. The ecoSplit is a separation system that offers a very short ROI and a low COO by providing a totally safe, proven, and fast mechanical method of separating wafers. It is innovative, beautifully simple but difficult to copy.

Advanced Energy Industries, Inc.
Solaron grid-tie inverters
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Advanced Energy's Solaron inverters were the first high-power, bipolar, transformerless inverters available in North America. Solaron inverters optimally convert solar direct current (DC) power to advanced alternate current (AC) grid electricity. Their unique approach has set a new industry standard for product efficiency—enabling demonstrably more electricity to be delivered to the grid than was possible with previous technologies.

The Solaron portfolio includes the Remote PV Tie accessory. This design enables one PV array operating at 0 to +600 volts and another at 0 to -600 volts instead of the traditional 0 to 600 volt PV array, enabling higher efficiency in energy conversion, as well as superior detection and reporting of occasional but costly ground faults in the PV arrays. The inventive design of the solar PV arrays allows elimination of the middle pair of conductor wire in the inverter system. Hence, the structure of Remote PV Tie leads to conductor savings of up to 40 percent when compared with traditional inverters.

High-performance Solaron inverters are the only truly transformerless products in this market that are NTRL certified to UL1741-2005 by Canadian Standards Association (CSA) International, ensuring proven reliability of energy conversion. Furthermore, a wide maximum power point tracking (MMPT) window results in maximum processing power of the inverters throughout the day. The inventive products offer both local and remote data access, which help operators monitor the solar inverter system's performance from any location at any time.

The Solaron portfolio has the exceptional attribute of delivering full power output even in deserts and in a wide range of environmental conditions of up to 50 degrees centigrade, unlike other inverters available in the market. AE uses closed-loop liquid cooling with cold plate thermal transfer technology instead of traditional high velocity fans and convective heat transfer methods, thereby ensuring higher operating efficiency, compact size, and easy installation.

With lower balance-of-system costs, higher energy harvests over the long term, and lower operating and maintenance costs, Solaron inverters deliver unsurpassed LCOE and return on investment.

Oerlikon Solar Ltd
TCO 1200 System
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The Oerlikon Solar TCO 1200 is a fully automated high volume system for the deposition of a novel and adjustable Transparent Conductive Oxide (TCO) film. The TCO 1200 process technology allows adjustment of film morphology and conductivity to match ideal parameters for the PV absorber stack while utilizing an innovative ZnOx film composition with superior light trapping versus standard SnOx films. As Oerlikon Solar is the number one supplier of end-to-end production lines according to VLSI Research with over 350 MWp of installed production capacity, the TCO 1200 systems have become the de facto industry standard for the production of thin film silicon solar modules.

TCO films have been used within thin film PV panels since the beginning of the technology. The TCO film needs to: allow full spectrum light onto the panel for generation of energy by the PV absorber, act as a current collector and act as a light scattering and trapping layer which forces key wavelengths to traverse the PV absorber stack for multiple reflections, increasing the chance for the light to create electricity. The standard technology for deposition of TCO films has been sputtering. Unfortunately the sputtering process allows only a small window of process adjustment and no optimization of material composition or light scattering. Another popular approach to TCO fabrication, especially by glass manufacturers, is Atmospheric Pressure CVD (APCVD). APCVD techniques typically require very high deposition temperatures, >500° C, and so forces the films to be applied to the glass directly without any PV absorber films present. This is possible only for the first film on glass at the beginning of module manufacture, however, the back contact TCO film cannot be deposited by APCVD. The TCO 1200 LPCVD (Low Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition) reactor has several new hardware and chemistry innovations, allowing a fast and highly uniform IR camera controlled heating, a low temperature process (›200° C) and controllable conductivity and crystal morphology through adjustable doping gas delivery. These features allow the film to be adjusted to optimize panel power output.

In order to develop the next generation thin film silicon PV cells, light trapping by advanced TCO is essential. The new LPCVD process from Oerlikon Solar has demonstrated higher light trapping abilities. This is especially important for micromorph solar cells where the absorber layers are engineered to be as thin as possible while keeping the efficiency high. In addition, amorphous silicon single junction cells have an enhanced susceptibility to Staebler-Wronski degradation, so efficient light management allows a reduction in layer thickness, fundamental for high performance in these material systems. The output current of an Oerlikon Solar TCO film is significantly higher than a high quality commercial APCVD film, accounting for an additional 0.5% improvement in stabilized efficiency. The TCO 1200 LPCVD manufacturing system allows in a single layer to optimize a tandem absorber stack with very high haze light scattering, very low sheet resistance and excellent transmission characteristics. Also, the low temperature nature of the deposition allows this same TCO layer to be used successfully for the TCO back contact, again increasing light trapping within the cell.

Until today over 900'000 panels have been produced using the TCO 1200 systems from Oerlikon Solar for front and back contacts. The additional 0.5% efficiency gained translates into higher power per module and also in a significant economic benefit: e.g. 100 Wp modules are becoming 105 Wp modules which means to the solar farm developer a direct module savings of 5%. In a 30 MWp solar farm with 300'000 modules this accounts to saving 15'000 installed panels or about $3 million

Linde Electronics
On-Site Fluorine Generation
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CVD chamber cleaning using fluorinated gases has been commonplace in semiconductor manufacturing for decades and proven to be a fast and effective alternative to wet cleaning. This process has been scaled up to deal with larger process chambers, first in TFT-LCD panel manufacture, and lately for large area thin film solar cell manufacture.

Many of the gases currently used such as Nitrogen Trifluoride (NF3) and Sulphur Hexafluoride (SF6) have high global warming potentials (GWP) [for example: 17,200 for NF3 and 23,900 for SF6]. In line with the industry need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, fluorine gas (F2) has been identified as an effective alternative, having zero GWP. Restrictions exist however on high pressure compressed fluorine transport making it impractical to use in a typical thin film PV fab where annual gas consumption is very high.

On-site generation of F2 gas has been developed by Linde as a viable alternative, with scaleable plants available to supply large PV production lines. Developed in the late 1990s, this proven technology has been installed at more than 20 semiconductor, LCD and solar cell production sites, including ST Microelectronics, Toshiba Matsushita Display, Samsung Electronics, and LG Display. Chamber cleaning with Linde on-site generated F2 gives thin-film manufacturers reduced cost per Watt and provides the end user with a reduced carbon footprint PV module.

On-site fluorine generators are sized according to the total volume required at the production fab, and all rely on the same simple, low pressure, low temperature and low inventory process design. Anhydrous HF, supplied in either the gas or liquid phase, is the very low-cost feed material The working fluid, KHF2.HF, is liquid only above 70°C, and is contained in a fluorine-resistant alloy vessel, which also serves as the cathode. Current applied through the anodes determines the rate of fluorine production, and the evolved fluorine and hydrogen are physically separated to prevent recombination. Hydrogen is diluted for direct disposal, or can be easily and completely abated in-situ with proprietary passive catalytic oxidation. Fluorine is filtered, purified of residual vapour-phase HF to levels below 10 ppm and can then be used at its nominally atmospheric production pressure, or compressed and buffered to a safe working pressure of up to 1.4 bar g. To supply processes developed using diluted sources of fluorine, a blender can supply on-demand blends of fluorine and inert gases.

Neutral fluorine radicals are the chemical agent responsible for chamber cleaning, and so chamber cleaning gases, like F2 or NF3, must be activated by decomposing them to their atomic components. Because there is less energy in F2 bonds vs NF3 or SF6 bonds, the decomposition takes much less energy, and therefore activation can proceed much faster or with less expensive equipment.

Proprietary design of the electrolytic cell and proprietary operating principles allow the units to operate safely and reliably - uptime is in excess of 99%. With more than 10 years of service, Linde on-site F2 generation systems have proved to be highly effective in the demanding semiconductor, display, and thin-film PV industries

Replacing NF3 with Fluorine in a 500MW thin film Si fab would result in elimination of NF3 consumption with an untreated global warming potential equivalent to over 8 million tonnes of CO2 per year. Linde's proven technology for generating F2 on-site and on-demand eliminates the need for large volume storage and addresses all the safety requirements for handling this reactive material. In addition to its environmental benefit, F2 reduces the time for chamber cleaning, thereby increasing plant productivity, and ultimately lowers cost per watt.p

Linde's on-site F2 generator offers Thin Film PV manufacturers two clear benefits over conventional chamber cleaning gases:

Reduced carbon footprint payback time for thin film modules:
Based on recent independent studies of NF3 concentration in the atmosphere, the resulting Global Warming Potential of NF3-based cleaning processes alone adds significantly to the carbon footprint payback time, or time the solar module needs to function and displace carbon-based fuels in order to have a net positive impact. Typically 1 tonne of NF3 is required for chamber cleaning for each MWp nameplate capacity solar fab. So for example, these modules, when deployed in Germany, add approximately 2 years to the carbon payback time. Because the GWP of F2 is zero, the carbon payback time due to F2-based cleaning is nearly zero.

Reduced cost per watt:
On-site generated F2 reduces the cost per watt through reduced mass consumption, faster clean times, and reduced capital expenditure, with savings of 3 to 5 ¢/W for a typical thin-film PV fab. Because only the fluorine atoms are responsible for chamber cleaning, 20% less F2 is required vs NF3; for less efficient activation processes such as in-situ activation, this savings can be significantly greater. Chamber cleaning with NF3 can take from 15 to 25% of the total amount of time a CVD tool is in operation. Cleaning with F2 can reduce chamber cleaning times by a factor of 2 to 4, and therefore greatly increase the throughput on a critical step of thin-film PV production. And because much less energy is required to activate F2 vs NF3, smaller, less expensive equipment can be used for activating F2.

Air Liquide - Balazs NanoAnalysis
Photovoltaic Thin Film Analysis by Non-Traditional Methods

Fuhe Li has developed analytical metrology techniques to analyze PV Thin Films, both in terms of depth profiles as well as contamination within the thin film. Utilizing Glow Discharge - Optical Emission Spectroscoy (GD-OES), analysis can be performed on silicon, CdTe, CdS, and CIGS films as well as sputter targets and glass substrates. Analysis also includes, C, N, and O allows a wide range of contaminants to be detected.

A particular advantage of GD-OES for PV thin films is that there is no near-surface charging that takes place as with ion or electron beam surface techniques. Thus contamination in the first 5-10 nm can be easily observed which would otherwise be obscured in more typical surface techniques. In addition, the multi-element detection capability permits a much faster (and more cost effective) analysis to take place.

Multiple elements can be analyzed in both a depth profiling mode simultaneously with trace elements while looking for contamination. The analysis for contamination is extremely useful as thin films and efficiencies are still being developed and improved, and contamination is a specific effect that can cause a drop in photovoltaic yield. An extension of contamination analysis in thin films is looking at potential sources of contamination such as sputter targets (an indium target for CIGS film for example). GD-OES can analyze any type of surface material, typic al thin film, conductive or even non-conductive materials, and this sample flexibility allows additional avenues to find contamination sources.

Fuhe has taken an analytical tool that has typically been used for academia or stainless steel analysis applications, and extended it to thin film analysis for photovoltaic applications. A new technique helps PV process engineers, quality control and yield enhancement engineers improve problem solving and ultimately yield in photovoltaic processes.

Angstrom Science
ONYX-Revolution Cylindrical Magnetron

Angstrom Sciences' technology is found in its magnetics. The cylindrical design incorporates the company's patented profiled magnet technology in such a way that the profiles naturally conform to the curvature of the cylindrical target. The result for our customers is high utilization

The magnetic field generated by this array provides an angular sputtered flux. This “tighter” profile results in more material reaching the substrate. More material arriving on the substrate means higher deposition rates and slower accumulation on the system shielding and walls, thus extending maintenance cycles due to debris and accumulation.

Typical cylindrical magnetrons provide target utilisation in the 70% range. Angstrom Sciences' cylindrical magnetron design provides 85% or greater target utilization. While achieving the highest target utilisation, there are no special design requirements for the target itself such as “dog-bones”. The target is a straight standard cylinder of material.

The design of the ONYX-Revolution allows for controllable uniformity. The cylindrical design is specified to achieve the same results as competitive products. Some customers are achieving results of +1.7% uniformity or even better.

The ONYX-Revolution provides 3 TIMES target materials and 2 TIMES the utilisation of linear or planar magnetrons. Overall this is 5 TIMES the efficiency.

BTU International
The MERIDIAN In-line Diffusion System

BTU International's MERIDIAN In-line Diffusion System features the MERIDIAN phosphorus coater, which includes key advances such as backside and topside coating and integrated wafer drying. The system can be configured to achieve up to 1500 156-mm wafers per hour. The in-line process offers reduced wafer handling and greater throughput than traditional batch processing. Reduced handling translates into lower breakage rates, improved yield and lower cost of ownership.

BTU's Meridian Diffusion System increases cell efficiency through the use of backside doping and precision temperature controls while also providing high throughput and significantly reduced breakage rates through the use of in-line processing. The Meridian spray coater utilizes 3 methods of control to adjust the dopant application thickness and uniformity. Uniform, repeatable and controlled application of the dopant is required to insure consistent results. The Meridian diffusion furnace series includes temperature trim controls to maintain and adjust for temperature gradients across the width of the belt. Temperature uniformity across the belt is within +/- 2°C. This tight temperature uniformity is required to achieve uniform sheet resistance values. Tight atmosphere control is required to create a clean continuous flow of atmosphere. This is accomplished by injecting fresh process gas at specific inlets and exhausting it towards the entrance. This combined with the quartz-lined process chamber promises a clean processing atmosphere and safe removal of process effluent.

Coveme SpA
dyMat PYE Backsheet Material

dyMat PYE backsheet material is used to prevent electrical hazards and to grant high vapour barrier, avoiding power loss during the expected lifetime of the solar module. Coveme, in co-operation with DuPont Teijin Films, has developed a high grade PET inner layer with a lifetime five times longer than traditional polyester. Traditional solutions are multiple layer backsheets with fluoropolymers on the air side, polyester (PET) in the middle, and a third layer towards the cell side. Most of the job is done by the polyester film that must be protected by an outer layer versus the air side.

If there is water permeation of the outer layer, the inner PET layer suffers from hydrolysis losing its original properties. Traditional backsheets can prove unbalanced, having a long lasting outer layer and the inner layer suffering from early aging. This is only visible through deeper analysis. The problem analysis shows that improving the hydrolysis resistance of polyester is the key for a superior performing backsheet. The outer layer on the airside consists in a white opaque film developed to resist the environment and further protect the inner PET layer.

The dyMat PYE laminate is based on two layers of polyester film. The cell side is treated with a special thick primer which provides high bonding capability to EVA. The primer can be supplied in different colours and in transparent finishing. The laminate thickness has been designed to provide the best combination of properties in terms of electrical insulation and weather ware and tear. It also forms a strong barrier to oxygen and humidity.

First Solar
FS Series 2 PV Module

First Solar FS Series 2 PV Modules are designed for use in grid-connected, commercial power plants and are sold to leading system integrators, independent power project developers and utility companies worldwide. The modules are CdTe thin film in construction that will generally produce more electricity under real-world conditions than conventional solar modules with similar power ratings and the lowest cost per watt overall.

Solar cells become less efficient at converting solar energy into electricity as their cell temperatures increase. However, the efficiency of Cadmium Telluride is less susceptible to cell temperature increases than traditional semiconductors, enabling First Solar thin film modules to generate relatively more electricity under high ambient ( high cell) temperatures. The semiconductor material also converts low and diffuse light to electricity more efficiently than conventional cells under cloudy weather conditions. CdTe permits simple device structures and manufacturing processes, leading to low cost production.

Front (substrate) and back (cover) laminated glass sheets are heat-strengthened to withstand handling and thermally induced stresses, while avoiding breakage over the 25+ year module life. Manufactured in highly automated state-of-the-art facilities certified to ISO9001:2000 quality and ISO14001:2004 environmental management standards. Tested by leading US and European institutes and certified for reliability and safety: Safety Class II; IEC 61646; CE Mark & UL 1703.

Modules are life cycle managed with a collection and recycling program, providing module owners with no cost , pre -funded , end of life take back and recycling of modules.

Advanced Solar Photonics (ASP)
Zero Width Laser Cutting Technology (ZWLCT)

Zero Width Laser Cutting Technology (ZWLCT), is a non-contact process which splits glass and other non-metallic brittle materials on the molecular level with tremendous speed, no material loss, and no chips or other debris associated with conventional scribe and break technology.

Precisely cutting glass and other substrates has always been a challenge to the industry. There have been two major cutting methods: mechanical scribing or sawing and laser cutting. The rapid rise of the photovoltaic industry has put new demands on these existing cutting technologies. Advanced Solar Photonics utilises ZWLCT in its Fantom G8, a thin-film laser scribing system.

Zero Width Laser Cutting Technology can be used for precise glass separation at production speeds not previously possible and with edge characteristics not attainable by any other process to date. The processed glass is four to five times mechanically stronger and has defect free edges without additional edge processing, using this patented method aids the glass in withstanding extreme day/night temperature changes in the harsh desert environments by maintaining the integrity of the glass, thus strengthening it and ensuring long term stability says the company

Zero Width Laser Cutting Technology produces the maximum MicroCrack depth in the subsurface layer of the glass and not thermal-fracturing of the glass. After performing this application, the human eye is unable to see any change in the properties of the glass; however, when applying a small amount of pressure, the glass will split along the scribe line. Following the split, the glass has no particular damage and the highest edge quality which a person can safely run their finger over requiring no further processing making grinding and cleaning lines unnecessary."

3S Swiss Solar Systems
AG XL Laminating Line

The AG XL Laminating Line is designed to provide a fully-automated high volume lamination process of solar modules at highest speed: cycle times can be reduced up to 40%, according to the company. The system has a total capacity of up to 34 modules per hour which equals an annual capacity of up to 60MWp. It combines two vacuum chambers with the patented hybrid heating plate of the 3S Laminator S3622 with a cooling press. The two vacuum chambers are separately controlled in terms of evacuation, ventilation and heating. The system can handle both c-Si and thin film sizes.

The patented Hybrid Heating Plate of 3S Swiss Solar Systems combines the advantages of both electrical and oil heating techniques that generates higher temperature homogeneity, boosting yields and throughput. The heating system has 40 electrical rod elements with 2kW each. Heat carrier oil transmits the heat from the rod elements to the heating plate at high speed allowing very short heating times; however it retains maximum temperature difference of 2°C absolute. After lamination the cooling press permits controlled cooling of the modules. 3S technology shortens the time between lamination and post processing, as well as it reduces interior stress in the module.

SierraTherm Production Furnaces
5500 Series APCVD System

The 5500 Series APCVD system with a 660mm deposition width is capable of depositing a combination of up to five layers of doped (BSG, PSG) and undoped SiO2 films in a single pass. Its throughput capacity of 1875 WPH for 156mm wafers or 2300 WPH of 125mm wafers make it compatible with today's high production cell lines. Films with thicknesses of up to 300nm can be deposited at this process speed.

The 5500 Series APCVD conveyor furnace is well suited for continuous high volume processing of substrates requiring single as well as multi-layer thin films. SierraTherm's in-line system design assures that each substrate receives the same process treatment. Distinctly unlike other furnaces, the SierraTherm 5500 Series is claimed to be an energy efficient precision thermal processing system with the required high-performance.

• Maintenance conscious design allows chemical injectors and exhaust ducting to be cleaned while in place on the system
• Multiple injector heads can be used in series within a single furnace, maximizing process throughput, uniformity, and flexibility while minimising cost.
• Modular chemical vapour injector head assemblies allow quick and easy installation and removal from the coating chamber
• Location and design of stainless steel bubbler systems maximize control and serviceability
• All injector head parts are durable precision machined structures ensuring accurate chemical delivery even after extended use
• Pump-based, bi-directional bulk refill system provides continuous chemical refill without process interruption or manual transfer
• Continuous self-cleaning mechanisms in critical exhaust restrictions prevent flow altering residue build-up
• Automatic process exhaust and precursor flow control guarantee consistent film results
• Three tiers of graded, power saving insulation reduce energy bills
• Stable, unsurpassed temperature uniformity control ensures consistent process results

Process Applications:
SiO2, undoped
Diffusion barrier or insulating layer for silicon wafers or soda-lime sheet glass
SiO2, boron or phosphorous doped (BSG or PSG)
TiO2:
Antireflective layer for silicon solar cells

Mallinckrodt Baker, Inc
J.T.Baker PV-160
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The J.T.Baker PV-160 Solar Cell Surface Modifier is a wet chemical surface modifier applicable to in-line manufacturing processes of crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells.

Following emitter formation, J.T.Baker PV-160 surface modifier's modification of cell surface properties delivers higher value solar cells by improving cell conversion efficiency.

Developed in cooperation with Energy research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN), J.T.Baker PV-160 surface modifier improves cell conversion efficiency by enabling an enhanced cell response to blue light. Modifying surface properties of c-Si solar cells after emitter formation, J.T.Baker PV-160 surface modifier provides photovoltaic cell manufacturers with a powerful surface modification chemistry proven to increase the value of their solar cells by improving absolute cell efficiency by up to 0.3%.

In addition to removing residual phospho silicate glass (PSG) left behind following a standard hydrofluoric acid (HF) bath, J.T.Baker PV-160 surface modifier is the only commercially available cleaning chemistry able to deliver the high-value, competitive advantage of improved cell efficiency. Solar cells made using J.T.Baker PV-160 surface modifier produce more electricity and are more valuable than cells made without the product.

• Produces more efficient solar cells that provide higher electrical output and are more valuable than cells made without J.T.Baker PV-160 surface modifier.
• A 100% water soluble formulation eliminates the need for an intermediate solvent rinse, decreasing total processing time and cost
• Long bath life, typically greater than 80 hours; process optimization resulted in bath lives of more than 100 hours in high volume manufacturing
• A self-limiting surface modification process designed to slow down with treatment time, thereby diminishing the chance of destructive processing.

4JET Sales + Service GmbH
INLINE system

The INLINE system can be equipped with several laser technologies and allows full area processing of the entire surface of a solar panel. Applications include edge deletion, selective perforation, P4 isolation scribes as well as marking or drilling of glass.

The unit is a co-development of 4JET and Maschinenbau GEROLD GmbH. The unit is suitable to process all standard panel sizes including G8 formats with 2600 x 2200mm dimensions. Glass panels are pre-centred and their position is measured precisely. 4JET's dynamic ABC (Automatic Beam Control) beam delivery system enables compensation of glass warpage and size tolerances of the panels. Depending on the application, the units are equipped with diode-pumped solid-state or fibre lasers. 4JET supplies customer- and application-specific process technology and integrates a turnkey solution. Several modules can be installed sequentially, depending on the required throughput. The 4JET design allows full area processing of the entire panel surface and allows programming of each individual edge width depending on the glass tolerance. The INLINE platform also enables performing a cost-efficient P4 isolation cut that generates a sharp edged groove between the active area of the solar panel and the edge. Using an INLINE system with 532nm and/or 1064nm wavelength eliminates the need for an isolation cut in the more expensive P3 scribing systems.

The INLINE series is offered with different optional processes, including a newly developed process to expose molybdenum on CIGS solar panels, a process validation module and mechanical brushing systems. Through the cooperation with Maschinenbau GEROLD GmbH, 4JET can also offer material handling and automation solutions. The modular design of the INLINE also allows integration of marking lasers that either engrave into the glass or create an inverted mark by ablation of the coating. It is also possible to integrate a glass drilling system.

Eyelit Inc
The ‘Eyelit Manufacturing' solution

The ‘Eyelit Manufacturing' solution delivers a full featured, technically advanced manufacturing execution system (MES), asset management, product costing, plant-level connectivity hub, and broad spectrum of other essential functionality. By giving clear insight into production process efficiency, performance/equipment efficiency, inventory control and resource management along with the ability to automatically react to conditions in any factory system, Eyelit Manufacturing suite enables customers to coordinate, control, and respond to changing demands in production.

Eyelit say their solution enables solar start-ups to begin with a low-cost investment, yet provides the needed infrastructure to scale with Eyelit's broad set of functionality and copy-smart capability. Their products cover a broad set of manufacturing solutions, including Manufacturing Execution (MES), Asset Management (Semi E10), Factory Integration (Automation), Supply Chain Execution, Quality Management (CAPA/OCAP/SPC/APC), and Business Process Management. These are designed to allow customers to rapidly and cost-effectively optimize production and company processes.

All Eyelit Manufacturing operations are managed using an advanced interactive interface that sets up in seconds. This Interactive Performance Monitor (IPM) allows users to configure logical representations of their production operations and any resources within it. The IPM is completely personalized and can accommodate any process so that users get more correct, detailed, and relevant information, as well as complete control over it. The IPM eliminates the need to code complex business rules. System set-up, use, and maintenance are incredibly simple and fast. No other manufacturing efficiency products are as easy to implement, customise and use.

KUKA Systems
ROBO FRAME Module

KUKA Systems ROBO FRAME module uses an industrial robot with a high payload capacity for the automatic framing of solar modules. The advantages of this production process are the prevention of deformation and scratching, improved quality of the end product, and greater throughput of the production system.

The framing of solar modules typically involves slightly over-dimensioned frames in order to accommodate the tolerances of the glass and the frame parts. During the joining process, the laminate must not be pressed right up against the frame, but must be joined according to specified dimensions. ROBO FRAME system is claimed to handle large tolerance ranges reliably, thereby ensuring high quality of the end product.

In the ROBO FRAME system, the robot grips the prepared laminate on the glass side and guides it precisely into the prepared frame parts. In a sequence of four steps, the long frame parts are joined first, the short frame parts into which the corner connectors have already been inserted automatically are also joined. Additional clips and a level support plate ensure that the forces applied to the laminate during assembly of the frame parts are kept to a minimum, thereby preventing deformation. At 1.2 tons, the joining forces that can be achieved are comparable to those of a conventional frame press. The process is not rigidly configured for use of double-sided adhesive tape so other sealing methods are also possible. The separate feeding of the long and short frame parts prevents relative motions from occurring and thus eliminates the risk of scratches on the profiles.

The tools can be adapted to various frame sizes. The KUKA robot allows combination with additional automation tasks, thus facilitating scalability of the system, e.g. for lines with an annual power output of 50 or 100MW.

The ROBO FRAME unit consists of the KUKA robot with framing gripper, a station for pressing in the corners, two framing tables, an optional vertical buffer for one hour's production volume, an optional corner key separator and the wetting channel for the adhesive tape. The system is complemented by automatic trimming with KUKA's ROBO TRIM, automatic application of the adhesive tape with KUKA ROBO TAPE, a camera system for frame inspection, and KUKA ROBO FINISH for the permanent closure of the edges by means of crimping or screws and for deburring the edges.

Newport Corporation
PV IsoStation

Newport's PV IsoStation Workstation is a, 36”x 60” ergonomic workstation specifically designed for PV test and development applications. It features integrated storage and shelving for instruments, solar simulators and other devices and a specially treated work surface that reduces light reflectivity by a factor of six compared to typical optical table surfaces. The PV IsoStation workstation is ideal for a wide range of photovoltaic applications and provides a 6x less reflective work surface than standard workstations to minimise the effects of reflected and scattered light.

The RG series 3' x 5' breadboard is a lightweight honeycomb structure that superior to granite or steel plate platforms and much easier to assemble and move. The breadboard surface has a durable black matte finish on the surface and has a ¼-20 hole pattern on 1” centres. The instrument rack is a standard 19" rack mount integrated into the workstation fame. The rack is constructed of welded heavy gauge steel for stability and ruggedness. Far more rigid than sheet stock rolled C-channel frames, the PV tubular construction is easier to clean and does not have crevices to collect contaminates. The PV frame comes standard in powder coat black. The workstation frame is enclosed on all sides, except the rear, with two doors opening toward the front of the workstation.

Adept Technology
Quattro s650 robot

The Quattro robot is claimed to be the world's fastest robot with over 200 systems sold worldwide. The Bernoulli gripper combined with the Quattro robot creates an effective method for manipulating solar cells without the potential for product damage. Automating solar cell inspection has proven to be an effective way to increase yields and reduce in-process scrap. Integrating inspection with automated handling is the next step in improving production efficiencies and continuing the trend towards lower cost solar cells.

The Adept Quattro s650 parallel robot is specifically designed for high-speed manufacturing, packaging, material handling and assembly. It is the only robot in the world that features a unique four-arm rotational platform designed for maximum speed, maximum acceleration and exceptional performance across the entire work envelope, according to the company. Additionally, the powerful embedded amplifiers and compact controls make installation easy and enable saved workspace.

The product is specifically designed for high-speed manufacturing, packaging, material handling and assembly.

Applied Materials
The Applied E3 System

The ‘Applied E3' advanced equipment and process control solution, is intended to be a comprehensive factory automation (FA) software package for improving the productivity and reducing the costs of semiconductor, flat panel display and photovoltaic solar cell manufacturing. The modular packages utilise proprietary algorithms that are claimed to boost process capability by >30 percent, reduce unscheduled downtime, and shorten cycle time to achieve up to a 20 percent increase in overall equipment effectiveness. Applied Materials said the system has already been employed by multiple major manufacturers and is currently being used in volume production.

Using graphical development environment and pre-configured modules the Applied E3 solution is claimed to be quick to deploy and easy to update and extend, offering a faster and more cost-effective route to raise factory output. Equipment automation, data collection and logic handling simplify the construction, deployment, and maintenance of automated process control (APC) applications. Fault detection and classification (FDC) collects and analyzes equipment parameters to provide rapid feedback on process performance issues and avoid unexpected failures that decrease productivity. Run-to-run control (R2R) uses patented feedback algorithms to reduce process variability by adjusting processing parameters in real time, enabling more consistent output, higher yield and greater productivity. Equipment performance tracking (EPT) monitors every processing tool in the factory and provides visual and statistical reporting tools to identify bottlenecks and improve factory performance.

The Applied E3 system is part of a broad portfolio of manufacturing automation solutions and services designed to help companies improve their factories' productivity and reduce costs by managing, controlling and automating all aspects of their factory and tool operations.

Veeco Instruments
Dektak 150 Surface Profiler

The Dektak 150 Surface Profiler, is designed to monitor thin films of advanced PVs as well as critical surface roughness, key for optimal absorption of photons. The standard Dektak 150 utilizes a 4 x 4-inch X-Y stage with manual theta. It can be configured with a 4-inch Y auto stage that enables 3D imaging, or equipped with a 6-inch X-Y auto stage that, in addition to 3D mapping, provides automation and programmability of over 200 sample sites. With the scan-stitching package, the system can perform even longer scans for stress measurements on larger wafers. Other stage features include wafer alignment pins for ease of use, three-point suspension for stress, lateral calibration for 99.9% accuracy, and a larger scan block for improved baseline stability, according to the company. There is a growing need to be able to monitor thin films of advanced PVs as well as critical surface roughness.

With 6-angstrom step-height repeatability, the Dektak 150 profiler provides the flexibility to perform precise step-height measurements for thin films down to less than 100 angstroms, as well as thick-film measurements up to several hundred microns thick. The Low-Inertia Sensor 3 (LIS 3) head is claimed to deliver extremely accurate measurements with unprecedented sensitivity. The 512-micron vertical range is claimed to be the best standard Z performance in the industry, and a 1-millimeter option extends the vertical range of these systems even further. Improved horizontal and vertical resolution enables precise planarity scans for measuring radius of curvature, flatness, and waviness, as well as characterizing thin-film stress on wafers.

The Dektak 150 incorporates a cast-aluminium frame and several vibration and noise reduction features to provide the lowest possible noise floor for measuring extremely thin films, according to the company. In addition, the Dektak 150 is able to measure thin film stress with longer scan lengths up to 55 millimetres and a larger vertical range up to 1 millimetre. The thin film stress measurement software automatically calculates compressive or tensile stress. Plus, the Dektak 150 offers 3D imaging capabilities to map a user-defined surface area to perform in-depth analysis of surface defects and area roughness with Veeco's ‘Vision' 3D analysis software.

Air Liquide Electronics Solar Business Group
The CaniStar CDS for POCl3
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The historical method of replacing empty quartz POCl3 bubblers is inherently dangerous and time consuming. The CaniStar chemical distribution system presents an alternative means of POCl3 supply that reduces operator exposure to dangerous materials, reduces the process Cost of Ownership (CoO), and reduces diffusion furnace downtime.

POCl3 is supplied in quartz bubblers which have to be replaced when the liquid level nears empty. Safety is a concern when handling POCl3 due to the various environmental hazards, including corrosiveness, an exothermic reaction with water, and a potentially fatal reaction if inhaled. Any procedures and protocols for operator interaction with POCl3 are necessarily risky. Reduction of potential exposure is a key factor when handling this chemical.

In addition to increasing safety by minimising operator exposure, bubbler replacement leads to at least 30 minutes of lost production time in addition to the time required to stabilize the temperature of the new bubbler. As the production in a facility approaches its capacity limits, the 30-90 minutes of downtime required one to two times per week for every bubbler in the facility will significantly impact wafer throughput.

The proposed alternative to manually refilling empty POCl3bubblers is an automated system that refills the bubblers in-situ. Therefore, individual bubblers do not need to be handled, and automatically refilling the bubblers from a central distribution system eliminates the downtime associated with bubbler replacement. In addition, the addition of small amounts of chemical to the bubbler will not cause a deviation from the temperature set point, so processing time is not lost during the filling operation. POCl3 supplied in an approximately 20L stainless steel canister rather than in 500 to 1500 mL quartz bubblers. This method of POCl3 supply has numerous advantages, including; increased wafer throughput as a result of reduced downtime, reduced chemical cost due to change in supply vessel, reduced shipping costs because fewer supply vessels are consumed, reduced chemical waste in a single 20L canister rather than multiple 500-1500 ml bubblers, reduced frequency of supply vessel changes (from every 500-1500 ml to every 20L), elimination of quartz bubbler handling and reduced operator exposure and maintenance costs.

The CaniStar CDS claims unparalleled safety features such as an all PFA wetted path, an internal waste collection vessel, an exhausted cabinet with gas detection (HCl), glove port access, quick connections, safety interlocks on the doors, audible and visual alarms and fail-safe shutdown modes. The CaniStar CDS addresses canister changes in a manner consistent with increased productivity; there is no downtime to change supply canisters. The system has segregated supply and dispense compartments, so chemical distribution to the production area is not disrupted.

The CaniStar system has been in operation in production facilities for over 1 year and has been implemented in Europe and the United States.

Air Products and Chemicals Inc
ChemGuard CG1000 POCl3 Delivery System

The Air Products CG1000 POCl3 Delivery System was developed exclusively for the photovoltaic market to help customers towards their goal of achieving grid parity.

The CG1000 was developed to help customers minimise cost of operations by helping to eliminate tool downtime due to host container replacements. Each system can save up to 460 hours per year of production critical downtime. The CG1000 helps to eliminate chemical waste (typically 15% or up to 77.6k per year), and allows customers to reduce their production labour, logistics and shipping costs by more than 20 times.

The opening of the wetted-surface connections where proper personal protection equipment (PPE) is required will also be reduced by up to 20 times. This system ensures clean connections by implementing proven purge sequences and hardware designs. In addition, it will reduce atmospheric exposure events to wetted surfaces by 184 to 230 times per year.

The CG1000 virtually eliminates the risk of exposure to highly-toxic chemicals. It decreases the cost of managing safety by up to 20 times (reduced training needs, PPE and ERT costs). All production functions are fully automatic, including refill of host containers, and replacement of bulk and host containers. Leak checking on the unit is also automatic and interlocked to protect operators and equipment. A full menu of alarms, events and diagnostic functions were integrated into the unit to prevent exposure and equipment damage.

The CG1000 is a robust system and has been proven to work in the mass-production of crystalline photovoltaic cells. The unit integrates multiple redundant sensors to prevent liquid and vapour flow to wrong end-points. An event and alarm log is easily accessible on the unit to monitor your production activities.

Bekaert Advanced Coatings,
Series of sputter hardware components for rotating cylindrical magnetron applications.

Bekaert Advanced Coatings, has developed a series of flexible and high performing sputter hardware components for rotating cylindrical magnetron applications. Whether an existing coater in an upgrade/rebuild project or a new coater in a green field project, maximum flexibility can be offered for building in all critical components needed for sustaining a controlled process to realise high end products.

Within the large area coating business, the rotating cylindrical magnetron concept has proven to offer superior properties relative to the planar concept and to satisfy most of the industrial requirements. In PV applications, the use of rotatable technology is more recently introduced and not yet well-known. Bekaert offers sputter hardware solutions for rotating cylindrical magnetron applications. With the critical key components, a customised solution can be worked out in close collaboration with the customer. This allows PV cell manufacturers to reduce the cost per Watt peak, by gaining from the advantages of this rotatable technology, e.g. a larger useful target material inventory and increased target material utilisation, leading to reduced machine down-time; an increased process stability for reactive depositions (drastically reduced arc sensitivity); an enhanced target cooling leading to the ability to use higher power density and thus obtaining a higher deposition rate; a more focused ejection of particles and an enhanced anode functionality during AC sputtering.

Dow Corning Solar Solutions Group
Dow Corning(R) PV-6100 Cell Encapsulant Series

Dow Corning® PV-6100 Encapsulant Series relies on the UV stability of the silicone molecule to deliver improved durability and increased efficiency for crystalline modules compared to incumbent organics. PV-6100 Encapsulant Series provide an ultra-transparent layer of protection for the solar cell in a panel and can replace incumbent technologies. The silicon-based material provides higher efficiency, longer module life, and optimum UV resistance. The new processing platform can achieve higher production rates for crystalline and amorphous silicon thin film modules, reducing the cost per kilowatt-hour of solar power.The process increases manufacturing efficiency and reduces total cost of ownership through lower processing temperatures, faster throughput, as well as lower capital and less factory space needed for the equipment.

The Dow Corning® PV-7010 and PV-7020 Potting Agents were developed to eliminate the guesswork . There are hundreds of available coatings, encapsulants, potting agents, sealants, adhesives etc…available. The challenge is to evaluate correctly which of these actually work best for solar energy applications, while providing target life-time parameters and overall performance levels required. Dow Corning's PV-7010 and PV-7020 Potting Agents are designed to insulate PV cells' electrical junction boxes, providing cost-effective electrical insulation and long-lasting protection from moisture, heat and other environmental conditions, the company claims. These materials remain flexible and stable over wide temperature variations (-40 degrees to 150 degrees °C) and offer easy reparability and global availability. The PV-7010 offers a faster cure rate, while the PV 7020 has greater viscosity and thermal conductivity.

DuPont Performance Elastomers (DPE)
Kalrez perfluoroelastomer parts

Kalrez perfluoroelastomer parts specifically designed for the photovoltaic market for both wafer-based and thin film PV processes demonstrate broad chemical compatibility and excellent thermal stability. Kalrez parts are used to improve sealing reliability in critical PV wafer processing equipment that uses plasma, high heat and aggressive chemicals.

Kalrez perfluoroelastomer parts have been field proven in highly aggressive sealing environments, e.g semiconductor wafer processing. Kalrez seals resist over 1800 chemicals including reactive gases and plasmas, alkalis, acids and solvents. Even in contact with these corrosive chemicals, the seals retain their elastomer properties to temperatures as high as 325°C. These products produce improved results with less downtime due to a reduction in the need for preventative maintenance (PM). Overall the perfluoroelastomer parts can have a positive impact on productivity and reduce the cost of ownership in the production environment.

Kalrez PV8030 is used for surface texturing, polysilicate removal and ‘wet' scrubber/abatement applications. Kalrez PV8050 is used for edge isolation, ARC coating, CIS/CIGS and cadmium telluride cell layer and TCO deposition processes. Kalrez PV8070 is used for doping, metallization, and CIS/CIGS cell layer deposition processes. Kalrez 9100 is designed for amorphous/microcrystalline silicon cell layer deposition processes.

Kalrez parts have excellent thermal stability with maximum continuous service temperature up to 325°C, very low out-gassing properties, and broad chemical compatibility enabling them to withstand virtually any process media including reactive plasmas. DuPont Performance Elastomers also has integrated manufacturing back to the polymer, enhancing quality control and product development. Kalrez parts are manufactured in ISO 9000 registered facilities and are available in a wide variety of finished products from conventional seal shapes and bonded door seals to custom geometries. On request the parts are specially cleaned and double packaged in Class 100 workstations to significantly reduce the potential for contamination. Each item is individually packaged in a bar-coded bag for full traceability. These products are available in the form of O-rings, sheets and custom parts.

Rohm and Haas Company
Enlight Materials Suite

The Enlight product suite from the Rohm and Haas Company, is designed to improve traditional solar cell processing by increasing cell efficiency and increasing manufacturing yields. The need for higher cell efficiencies while controlling costs and improving yields is a core focus towards reducing the cost-per-watt of traditional solar cell products. Improved material performance is a key focus for achieving these goals in high-volume cell and wafer production environments.

The Enlight SilverPlate 620 is used for PV metallization offering an improved Light Induced Plating (LIP) solution over the company's first generation product. This new technology, claims the company, can increase cell efficiencies by as much as 0.6% compared to standard paste processes. Enlight JetResist 1310 is for PV imaging and is a hot melt ink that is compatible with most drop-on demand inkjet systems. The product has resolution capability down to 60µm and is compatible with most etches, including BOE, HF and cupric chloride. Enlight JetStrip 1210 Stripper is optimised to remove JetResist 1310 with fast stripping speeds. It can be used in either spray or immersion equipment configurations and will not attack underlying emitter layers. Enlight Wafer Clean 320 Series is designed for PV leaning that has been optimised to allow for customised cleaning and etching performance while being compatible with mono-crystalline and multi-crystalline substrates.

Enerize Corporation
Polymer Encapsulation and Protective Coating Material

The Enerize Corporations design for photovoltaic (PV) modules using a proprietary transparent polymer material claims to substantially out perform the glass conventionally used as a protective covering. The proprietary polymer material from Enerize is highly transparent, and stable under UV and ionizing radiation exposure.

The highly transparent polymer material can be applied directly to the PV module surface at low temperatures, eliminating the need for the adhesives required with glass and some other polymers. This eliminates the multi-layer structure including the reflective surfaces present with glass. No glass is used with this polymer coating. The polymer can be formed as a flat smooth surface or as a “crinkle coat”. The “crinkle coat” version further enhances photon collection efficiency due to the light concentrating effect of the polymer material and its surface morphology.

In conventional designs using glass, the efficiency of the PV module can be decreased by 7% or more as compared with a PV module without a glass covering. When PV modules are coated with Enerize polymer encapsulation and protective coating materials a unique result is achieved; namely, conversion efficiency is increased as compared with the same PV module having no covering. Compared to PV modules laminated with glass, those coated with Enerize polymer coating materials exhibit an increase in efficiency of as much as 25% or more. For example, as compared to a PV module laminated with glass having an efficiency of 16.45%, a PV module with the same type of solar cells coated with Enerize polymer material has an efficiency of 21.2%. This increased efficiency is due to several important features including better utilization of light in the shorter (UV) wavelength range of the spectrum, high transparency of the polymeric coating in the UV range compared to that of glass, and the capability to be formed with a relief or “crinkle coat” surface morphology. This surface morphology more efficiently captures photons over a wider angle of incidence. The polymer's low reflectance as compared to glass, and the elimination of the interior surface interface, both result in reduced photon loss through reflection.

Additional advantages include reduced weight, increased resistance to degradation by UV and ionizing radiation (so-called photon degradation) and high mechanical strength. These polymer coated PV modules are stable under prolonged exposure to high and low temperatures, thermal-cycling, mechanical impact, and high relative humidity. Evaluation of the new Enerize polymer encapsulation materials has been carried out using PV modules that include up to 5 solar cells with a surface area of 72 cm2 each.

Enerize transparent polymer materials and coating technologies can be used to improve conversion efficiencies and overall performance of mono-crystalline, multi-crystalline, amorphous silicon photovoltaic and non-silicon based PV modules such as CIGS (copper indium gallium selenide).

Mecasolar
MS Tracker 10

Scapa
Double-sided bonding and sealing products for PV module framing

Scapa, is a manufacturer of technical, self-adhesive tapes. Their high-performance technical products are used in a number of applications including bonding/sealing aluminium framed modules, permanent bonding of the junction box, laminate fabrication, cell positioning and cable management. Scapa offers a wide range of double-sided adhesive coated polyethylene (PE), polyurethane (PUR) and acrylic foams (AFT) that meet specific industry standards and requirements.

As manufacturers continuously search for new ways to reduce costs by improvements in processing speed, material costs, and reduction in process waste while maintaining product performance are critical. There is a need to identify suitable alternative materials that meet the current manufacturing requirements and have the capability to meet the demands of state-of-the-art automated production equipment.

Scapa's range of double-sided bonding and sealing products for PV module framing include acrylic adhesive systems that offer resistance to moisture and extreme environmental conditions and exhibit excellent Ultra Violet (UV) Light resistance. The adhesives often improve if further UV exposure occurs. The anticipated life expectancy of the Scapa foam products is in excess of 25 years. The use of tape solutions allows only the required quantity of material to be used during the fabrication of framed modules. Utilising pressure-sensitive adhesives with their initial tack enables the modules to be fabricated and immediately transported without waiting for the adhesive/sealant to cure or dry, thereby improving production flow. Precise customising of tape dimensions allows for easy manual application or rapid automated processing - using only the width and thickness required leads to minimal waste and a clean-to-use frame mounting assembly with no reworking and a clean edge finish. The adhesive mounting tapes may be supplied in roll, spool wound and die cut formats, to suit both manual and automated applications.

Scapa offers a selection of double-sided closed cell foam tapes that are coated with acrylic pressure sensitive adhesives as well as solid core Acrylic Foam Tapes (AFT) that have been assessed and meet the demands of IEC61215. All of the products will form effective bonding between PV panels and the framing material and will form an effective seal to both water and moisture ingress.

Siemens AG
SINVERT 1700 MS

SINVERT PV inverters, are a family of three phase grid-connected inverters in the range of 60kVA up to 1700kVA. They already serve as central inverters in a large number of PV power plants.

With Siemens' SINVERT 1700 MS, four units of 420kVA act as a single 1.7MVA PV inverter. The combination of up to four single inverters working together maximises performance, yield and availability.

Less service labour and down-times mean less cost in the return on investment equation in a PV power plant that requires a minimum of maintenance care. The most reliable and field-proven components, such as modules and their mounting structures, cabling and combiner boxes as well as the inverters with their containers and the whole medium voltage equipment are critical. To control these complex power plants, an industrial-grade supervision system is necessary.

Equipped with features like master slave operation, symmetry monitoring and VAr control, Siemens SINVERT covers the current and future recommendations of a reliable and almost maintenance-free operation.

GreenMountain Engineering
Trac-Stat SL1

GreenMountain Engineering diagnostic instrument for measuring tracker performance, is the Trac-Stat SL1. The SL1 is a high-resolution data logging sensor that mounts on a solar tracker. It records the angle of error between the sun and the tracker for use in the development of tracking, concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) and solar thermal systems.

There are many possible sources of error in a solar tracking system, from tracker installation to wind loading to thermal expansion to subtle algorithm errors. Identifying and mitigating these issues is key to maximising system performance and driving the cost-competitiveness of technologies like CPV that rely on accurate tracking. The SL1 is a high-resolution data logging sensor that mounts on a solar tracker. It records the angle of error between the sun and the tracker for use in the development of tracking, concentrating photovoltaics and solar thermal systems. With a resolution of +/-0.02°, the SL1 meets the precision requirements of CPV tracking systems. The data collected can be used to characterize the error in a tracking system, log controller performance over time, and calibrate and align trackers. This information is essential for the development of the high-accuracy tracking systems required for CPV.

The SL1 offers the flexibility of analog or USB output with both interactive and stand-alone operation modes. In interactive mode, the operator can read current sun position data over a USB connection for tracker calibration and monitoring. In stand-alone mode, the SL1 can log data to internal memory over extended periods of operation for later download and analysis.

ABB
IRB6640 Robot

ABB's IRB6640 cleanroom robot is designed to help the thin-film photovoltaic sector to improve productivity by lowering manufacturing costs, while at the same time raising production output. The cleanroom version of the IRB6640 meets all necessary process and cleanroom specifications for the thin-film photovoltaic industry, according to ABB.

ABB's cleanroom robots have three paint layers: a prime coat, a white paint layer and a clear top coat. Screws and inspection panels are covered with plastic prior to painting, which is subsequently removed when the paint dries. Some screws and panels are then protected again using removable covers, which facilitates cleaning. Inspection panels are not painted. Some of the cables are installed in an enclosed cable carrier, which enables them to be properly transported and at the same time prevents worn areas - even those that are not visible - from being exposed. Any areas that could potentially cause contamination are sealed at the factory using metal plates. The cleanroom robots are cleaned before they are shipped to customers and are protected by a double layer of plastic. The first layer is removed just outside the cleanroom to prevent any contaminants from entering. The second layer of plastic is removed inside the cleanroom to ensure compliance with strict cleanliness specifications.

Certification was undertaken by The Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA in Stuttgart. They rigorously tested the six-axis articulated robot over a period of seven weeks and included evaluation and compilation of all relevant documents. The primary objective was to evaluate the IRB 6640's clean-room suitability and surface cleanliness attributes. The evaluation was done in accordance with relevant specifications from VDI (Vercin Deutscher Ingenieure).

Isopad
Isopad Big Heating Plates

Isopad's heating panels offer equipment manufacturers of thin film photovoltaic cells the chance to make significantly larger cells and lower the cost per watt of energy generated.

With decades of work in the high vacuum industry, Isopad has developed some of the largest ‘all metal' panels available for high temperature, PECVD and other deposition & subsequent lamination processes. Custom designed for each equipment manufacturer, Isopad´s durable, high-quality heating solutions provide equipment manufacturers with a reliable heating solution. These large panels are used where nil outgassing, even heat, reliability in use & high throughput are required – at temperatures up to 1000°C. Isopad´s designers call on decades of expertise to ensure the large panel heaters meet the needs of the customers needing solutions for large sized deposition or lamination equipment.

Applications: Big heating plates, heater, thin film, vacuum deposition, flat panel display, photovoltaic solar cell manufacturing and lamination.

Isopad heating panels are key components of manufacturing equipment for thin film vacuum deposition and lamination. They are designed to help equipment makers provide high quality, high throughput solutions for solar panel assembly.

KACO Solar Inc,
Powador XP 100-HV inverter

The Powador XP100-HV central inverter uses DSP-based technology that is intended to offer the highest performance, reliability and efficiency.

The patented pulse width modulation algorithm (PWM) and load adaptive clock frequency reduce IGBT switching losses by more than 30%. Depending on the load cycle, the switching frequency is optimised in order to achieve higher degrees of efficiency and better energy yields for the PV plant. Reliability and maintainability are significantly enhanced by redundant power supplies for crucial systems/components, a refined IGBT stack design with laminated DC bus bar, extremely low stray inductance and gate drive interfacing with differential signalling. Depending on the load and environmental temperature, the cooling fans are monitored and controlled in an intelligent way.

The XP100-HV central inverters feature fully digital control technology compared to traditional analogue electronic designs with the benefit of a reduced number of components. MPP range 450V– 800V; maximum voltage 950V; maximum current 235A, Ripple voltage <3%.

Solar Metrology
SMX-ILH (In-Line x-ray Head)

Solar Metrology, with its System SMX portfolio, provides a production-ready suite of thin-film thickness and composition measurement tools for research and process development, in-process monitoring and post-process quality control.

System SMX-ILH is designed to perform in-line, post-process measurements. It readily accommodates both flexible substrates (such as stainless steel and polyimide) and rigid substrates (such as glass), and allows for control of blanket or patterned films. An available thermal shield extends SMX-ILH operational range to approximately 300C.

There are two primary ILH system configurations available, Open Beam and Closed Beam.

In an Open Beam system, the x-ray measurement head is inserted directly into your production line at a fixed location. Closed Beam units provide single or dual axis (X-Y) positioning of the x-ray head, enabling readings to be obtained on stationary or moving substrates.

An available Z-axis head drive lets you adjust on the fly for substrate height variations. Cross-process drive configurations are ideal for measuring gradients and profiles in film or composition across your substrate.

The SMX system control station can be positioned adjacent to or remotely from the process, and enables you to control multiple Ethernet-connected ILH x-ray measurement modules from a single location.

GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS (Subject to change)

Solar Metrology also offers a 12-page XRF technology guide for CIGS and CdTe PV thin-film composition and thickness measurement, describing typical XRF tool layout and sub-assemblies along with the features and benefits of various methods relevant to solar PV film control. The guide is designed to inform the user on the basic theory and operation of the systems, and covers topics such as generation and detection columns (tubes, collimation, detectors, processing), algorithmic tools, and user interfaces. It is intended as a quick reference to determine the appropriate insertion points of XRF measurement equipment for specific CIS, CIGS and CdTe PV applications.

Blue Square Energy
Bright Point

Bright Point is Blue Square Energy's line of high-efficiency solar cells. It utilises low cost, abundantly available silicon that is enriched with impurities. While other solar companies spend much time and money removing impurities from silicon, the company has found a way to use them to advantage.

While impurities help to reduce the cost, it is the proprietary design and process that increases efficiency. Commercial-size samples have already demonstrated greater than 12 percent, and the company is quickly enhancing the technology to achieve market-leading efficiency. Proprietary manufacturing techniques mean the Bright Point line will soon have the most cost-efficient solar cells on the market.

BSE is developing new and emerging ways to utilise the Bright Point platform to meet growing energy demands. The company's manufacturing expertise enables them to quickly introduce new Bright Point lines into the market as they are produced. The distribution partners are ready and able to make them available to the world.

Diamond Wire Technology
Solar Cropping Saw CR-400

CR-400 has the highest production capability while maintaining the smallest kerf in the industry, claims the company.

This solar cropping saw allows customers to make four cuts with a multitude of materials in only one cycle with a kerf of 300 micron. Users are able to cut two ingots at a time on dual tables with independent cutting yokes.

The Patented Tangential Cutting system produces faster, more precise cuts.

The CR-400 gives users a lower cost in a more versatile option. This saw is adaptable enough to meet any production requirement for cropping. It is designed with manually adjustable v-blocks as well as with a top and tail holder.

Diamond Wire Technology's extensive team of design, electrical and software engineers has developed a line of products that will enhance performance and lower costs. These saws combine diamond wire and a tangential cutting process to provide radical new cutting solutions for a broad range of applications and needs.

HORIBA Jobin Yvon
The Auto SE

The Auto SE is an innovative thin film measurement tool for determining the thicknesses and optical constants (n,k) of thin layers and multi layers. The instrument has been introduced by HORIBA Jobin Yvon to simplify thin film analysis whilst maintaining the major advantages of ellipsometry such as non-destructive analysis, accurate thickness measurement with angström resolution, and multi-layer measurement capability.

The Auto SE covers the diversity of thin film applications, in the fields of thin film photovoltaics, micro-electronics, flat panel displays, functional and optical coatings and biotechnology.

The Auto SE is an integrated compact system that guarantees efficiency and productivity for routine analysis of thin films. Its design combines automation with experimental modularity.

The instrument includes a 200x200 mm sample stage motorized in the XYZ axes for automatic loading and alignment of the sample. XY horizontal translation allows mapping of thin film uniformity over the sample area. Each point on the wafer map is measured in less than 1 second, with full spectral information available over the range 440 – 850nm.

The Auto SE features real-time visualization of the measurement site and automated selection of 8 spot sizes. This is very useful for cases where the sample is patterned or has poor surface quality. In these cases the user may view exactly where the sample spot is located using the Vision System, and choose the optimum spot size accordingly.

The patented MyAutoView Vision System is mounted within the standard ellipsometer optics. This unique design provides two main advantages:

• Visualization of the measurement site for all kinds of sample
• Selection and measurement of only the front reflection for transparent substrates

The image provided has a field of view of approximately 1mm2 and a resolution of 10 µm.

The Auto SE also offers a large choice of accessories (such as temperature controlled cell, liquid cell, 360° rotation control, autosampler, plastic film mount, etc…) to accommodate a wide range of experiments and sample shapes.

The Auto SE is controlled by the Auto Soft software integrated into the common software platform that controls all HORIBA Jobin Yvon ellipsometers. Auto Soft integrates very intuitive interfaces allowing full automatic analysis of thin film samples with simple push button operation.

Sample analysis takes only a few seconds and provides a complete report of film thicknesses, optical constants, surface roughness, and film inhomogeneities.

As the software is Multilanguage it is simple to operate for everyone.

• OPERATOR using a simple interface for routine thin film control
• ENGINEER with a large variety of analysis functions to optimize results and/or experimental recipes
• SERVICE with an interface for detection and diagnosis of possible problems of the system; thanks to built-in diagnosic indicators including in Auto SE.

The Auto SE is a new generation of thin film measurement tool that combines ease-of-use with the accuracy of spectroscopic ellipsometry. The Auto SE is a turnkey system that is ideal for the quality control laboratory and for industrial lines that need routine thin film measurement.

AMB Apparate + Maschinenbau GmbH
Wet Wafer 3000+

AMB Apparate + Maschinenbau GmbH Wet Wafer Separator 3000+, is a high-throughput wafer handling system designed for the thinnest 150 micron wafers in production through to 300 micron-thick wafers. The WWS 3000+ is focused on water bath system integration requirements where emphasis is placed on wafers being handled safely and reliably by gentle separation of the wafers from the stack in the water bath with reduced breakage rates without an impact on high throughput.

The loaded carriers are lowered into a water bath. A feeder system brings the stack of wafers automatically to the pickup point. A newly developed pickup system separates the foremost wafer from the stack without any mechanical stress which results in reduced breakage rates. After separation, the wafers are moved out of the water bath to the transfer station along a special conveyer belt with a non-slip surface. The belt creates a large surface contact with the wafers which guarantees a gentle transport.

With the technology used in the system, wafer damage and breakage is reduced to a minimum. High efficiency separating unit, combined with wafer control units and buffer systems, guarantee high production and yield.

Powerlase Limited
Edge Deletion Technique from Powerlase

Powerlase is a UK-based manufacturer of high powered diode-pumped solid state lasers that are used in a variety of applications, including solar cell manufacture. The high powered lasers are employed by several customers to perform edge deletion of thin-film solar cell coatings. This is a crucial final step in the solar manufacturing process and involves the ablative removal of a 14 mm boarder of thin-film from the edge of the solar glass panel. Removal ensures no conductive material remains between the active areas of the panel and the metal casing used to frame them.

Product development at Powerlase is driven by real world customer requirements. Powerlase maintains close working relationships with partners and potential customers to get a full understanding of their requirements. Powerlase also has significant experience with thin-film removal in the plasma display industry, specifically in supplying lasers to Samsung and LG Electronics for thin-film ablation in the manufacture of plasma television units.

A close relationship with potential customers in the solar cell industry allowed Powerlase to identify the requirement for a similar process of thin-film removal. This, combined with the company's experience in the area, has led to the development of a laser based technique designed specifically for processing thin-films on solar cells. Previously, the process used a method of sand blasting to remove the border, but the laser based technique offers significant cost and efficiency improvements.

Powerlase lasers are suitable for the thin-film ablation application due to their robust and unique nature. Using a fibre delivery system the laser beam emitted is square, instead of round. Using a square beam removes the thin-film more efficiently, as less beam overlap is required compared with a round beam. This increases the speed of manufacture and streamlines the process.

By removing the need for sand blasting the process is made much cheaper. The sand required is very expensive, due to the process used to manipulate it to a sufficient refinement. In addition, once the sand has been used for the removal of thin-film it must undergo the refinement process again before it can be re-used, which incurs an additional cost.

By contrast, the laser process simply requires the one off cost of the laser system and can then implemented directly into existing solar cell manufacturing facilities. The potential throughput of solar cells is also increased when using the laser process, as the process is greatly streamlined when compared to sand blasting technique.

SolFocus
1100S CPV Technology

SolFocus with its Concentrator Photovoltaic (CPV) technology claims to achieve panel efficiencies of 25 percent and is claiming to produce the highest energy density and highest energy yield of photovoltaic systems available today.

The SF-1100S-CPV-28 Concentrator Photovoltaic system solution combines high-efficiency solar cells (approaching 40 percent) and advanced optics to provide energy solutions which are scalable, dependable and capable of delivering on the promise of low-cost, clean, renewable energy. The company's CPV design employs a system of reflective optics to concentrate sunlight 500 times onto small, highly efficient solar cells.

SolFocus customer EMPE Solar will use the SF-1100S in its 10 megawatt utility-scale project, planned to be the largest deployment of CPV technology in Europe. The SF-1100S uses approximately 1/1,000th of the active, expensive solar cell material compared to traditional photovoltaic panels. In addition, the cells used in SolFocus CPV systems have over twice the efficiency of traditional silicon cells accelerating the trajectory for solar energy to reach cost parity with fossil fuels.

SolFocus integrates its CPV panels with its advanced tracking system that continuously aligns the solar array with direct sunlight throughout the day as the sun moves across the sky. The tracking technology has been developed specifically for integration with SolFocus' SF-1100 CPV panels, providing a highly integrated and performance-optimized system. The tracking capability of the SF-1000S results in energy generation which is an ideal match to peak demand periods.

OC Oerlikon Balzers Ltd
Solaris thin film coating technology for cSi cells

Solaris is a revolutionary thin film coating tool for crystalline solar cells. Front side SiN and metal back side layers can be deposited with the same tool platform.

PVD sputtering is absolutely silane free and no greenhouse gases are used for cleaning. The Solaris has the smallest footprint in the industry and has the highest utilization and process flexibility. The Solaris is designed for easiest operation and maintenance - one person can do it all.