• Market launch of the new Clustertool system for the development of CIS/CIGS solar cells – first system will already be delivered in 2012
• Novel rear passivation layer results in a significant increase in efficiency of silicon solar cells up to 20.1%
Kahl am Main, June 18, 2012 – The SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES AG (SINGULUS) continues its strategy in the Solar segment. At the Intersolar in Munich, the world’s biggest professional solar fair, SINGULUS successfully presented its photovoltaic process machines in the past week. The interest on part of the customers for innovative production technologies was high.
Market introduction of the new Clustertool system begins
SINGULUS presented the new Clustertool system for the development of CIS/CIGS solar modules of substrate size of 300 x 300 mm2. With the aid of this modular plant, innovative large-scale manufacturing processes for CIGSSe solar cells are to be developed. The goal is to considerably reduce the manufacturing costs for thin-film photovoltaic modules and to achieve highest module efficiencies. The Clustertool enables the integration of different process steps in a compact, modular machine system. Through a central interface the substrates are transported to the most important manufacturing steps such as coating, selenization, wet-chemical or thermal processes.
SINGULUS will commission the first system in the summer 2012.
There is demand in many R & D facilities for cost-efficient development tools to further develop the CIS/CIGS technology, to test new process variations and to transfer the results to production scale in a quick manner.
Within the scope of a sponsorship program of the “Photovoltaics Innovation Alliance”, the “CIS Clustertool” project commenced its research efforts for the development of new manufacturing processes for copper-indium-selenide-based thin-film semiconductors (CIS) in July 2011. The project was sponsored by the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF) and the German Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU).
20.1%-efficient screen-printed silicon solar cell with novel rear passivation layer
In March 2012 the Institute for Solar Energy Research Hamelin (ISFH) increased the conversion efficiency of screen-printed silicon solar cells from today’s industry typical 18.5% to a record value of 20.1%, as confirmed by an independent measurement from the Fraunhofer ISE CalLab. An improved cell rear side with an ICP-AIOx/SiNy double layer (ICP; inductively coupled plasma) enables this progress without “selective emitter” technology. 20.1% is one of the highest efficiencies worldwide reported for industrial type silicon solar cells with screen-printed metallization. The ISFH achieved this result in cooperation with SINGULUS.
SINGULUS integrates this process in a revised version of the SINGULAR coating machine and presented this plant concept to the trade at the professional fair Intersolar.
Profile SINGULUS:
SINGULUS continues to expand its activities in the business segments Solar and Optical Disc. The goal is to attain a leading position in the silicon and thin-film solar technology as a machine supplier as well as a development partner for new cell concepts and to maintain the market leadership in the Optical Disc segment for production equipment for the manufacturing of dual-layer Blu-ray Discs. The business activities in the division Semiconductor are extensively strengthened in the course of the apparent growing market for MRAM semiconductor technology. In addition, the company reviews other sectors and work areas, where new market segments can be developed on the basis of the present know-how in the area of vacuum coating.
