Singulus delivers first coating machine for silicon solar cells
PC's Solar Photovoltaics Blog
Singulus Technologies recently delivered the first inline coatingmachine for anti-reflective coating of silicon solar cells with theproduct name SINGULAR to a European manufacturer of silicon solarcells.
In 2008, SINGULUS developed a trend-setting concept fora coating machine for silicon solar cells with the product nameSINGULAR. The machine integration know how, which SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIEShas proven in the automation of CD, DVD and Blu-ray Disc productionmachines, was an optimum starting point for the development of the newSINGULAR plant.
With the SINGULAR coating machine theproduction of the anti-reflective layer on solar wafers is automated.With a particularly high quality of the anti-reflective layer measuringnanometers only, the light transmission and passivation properties areimproved and therefore the energy efficiency of the produced cellsenhanced.
The AR-coating with the SINGULAR machine is animportant component in the production process of solar cells and tiesdirectly to the value-added chain of the wet-chemical cleaning withLINEA machines. LINEA is STANGL’s new inline machine for wet-chemicalcleaning and etching of crystalline solar wafers with horizontalproduct transport.
SINGULUS developed a proprietary,fully-automated wafer handling system for the integration andconnection of the wet-chemical cleaning and etching steps. The waferhandling system is built in modules and automates the transport of thesilicon wafer, e.g. from the cleaning process in a LINEA machine to theAR-coating in the SINGULAR machine.
SINGULUS, together withSTANGL, will systematically expand the Solar activities. STANGL is oneof the well-known providers of wet-chemical machines for both thecrystalline silicon solar technology as well as for the thin-film solartechnology. Combined with STANGL’s machines SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIESoffers the key-technology for a crystalline silicon solar cellproduction line with wet-chemical, vacuum coating and wafer handlingtechnology.
The goal is to strengthen the position for production equipment for solar cells over the next few years
