ALMERE, The Netherlands – March 02, 2014 – Levitech BV today announced that one of Taiwan’s largest solar cell manufacturers transferred a Levitrack Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) system to manufacturing, and placed an order for a second Levitrack system to be shipped in the second quarter.
“The Levitrack has a proven record in high volume manufacturing and our customer was satisfied with the excellent performance. They decided to order a second system for their expansion for the production of high-efficiency crystalline solar cells. This system will be used for PERC cells – with efficiencies exceeding 20% – , as well as multi-crystalline and n-type products”, said Jaap Beijersbergen, CEO of Levitech.
“This client chose our Levitrack ALD system based on its significant productivity, cost-of-ownership and process advantages over competitive PECVD and ALD systems for aluminum oxide (Al2O3) applications, Beijersbergen concluded.
The Levitrack’s unique spatial ALD process and high throughput result in a superior cost-of-ownership of the overall passivation process flow and helps any client to address current and future technology needs.
About the Levitrack
The Levitrack ALD system is based on the innovative concept of spatial precursor separation, instead of precursor separation in time, and works in combination with the unique floating wafer and conductive heating technology used in the Levitech’s Levitor® RTP products. In the Levitrack, substrates float in a linear gas track and are heated to the required process temperature within a matter of seconds. Once heated, the substrates continue to float through a series of ALD deposition cells. Each cell consists of two precursor ‘curtains’, which are separated by a nitrogen purge ‘curtain’. The unique design of the ALD deposition cells allows for single-side ALD growth. As each ALD deposition cell is optimized for a fast linear motion of the substrates, a high throughput and low cost-of-ownership is guaranteed.
About Levitech
Levitech is a global player in production solutions for the IC and photovoltaic industries. A spin-off of ASM International, Levitech was established in 2009 around its core product, the Levitor® system. This system is based on a revolutionary patented technology and used in the semiconductor industry for Rapid Thermal Processing (RTP). The LevitrackTM ALD system is a state-of-the-art production solution for the solar industry and is based on the innovative concept of precursor separation in space, instead of time, in combination with the unique floating wafer and conductive heating technology used in the Levitor RTP products. For more information, visit Levitech’s web site at www.levitech.nl.