* Single Side Polish Etch with LINEA II
* Rear side passivation with SINGULAR XP
Kahl am Main, April 10, 2013 – Kahl am Main, SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES (SINGULUS) offers a production solution for rear side passivated crystalline solar cells (e. g. PERC; Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell). This solution was developed especially for the upgrade of existing cell production lines. An improved cell rear side with an AIOx/SiNy dielectric stack 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.
SINGULUS offers for the upgrade of a standard production line three additional process steps. Before coating, the rear side is smoothed with a wet-chemical polish in a LINEA II Single Side Polish Etch machine. SINGULUS offers for R&D single lanes and for high throughput up to 10 lanes. The complete dielectric passivation layer is deposited without vacuum breach in a PECVD-tool (Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor deposition) with the brand name SINGULAR XP. SINGULAR XP uses ICP (Inductively Coupled Plasma) process and offers lowest operational costs due to high utilization of consumables. For the rear side contacts through a laser process, SINGULUS is closely cooperating with a partner. With the integration of these additional production steps into existing manufacturing lines, solar- cells with an efficiency gain of about 1 % can be achieved.
The Institute for Solar Energy Research Hameln (ISFH) increased the conversion efficiency of screen-printed silicon solar cells in cooperation with SINGULUS from industry typical 18.5 % to a record value of 20.1 %. This was independently confirmed by the photovoltaics calibration laboratory of the Fraunhofer ISE (CalLab).
Profile SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES:
SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES develops innovative technologies for efficient production processes, which only make use of resources conservatively. New production technology combined with sustainable processes and the use of new materials can decouple the use of resources from economic growth in the long-term. SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES’ innovative power and competitiveness are strengthened by these new technologic developments.
With the Optical Disc segment SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES is the market leader for CD, DVD and Blu-ray Disc production equipment. As the only engineering company worldwide SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES today already provides the machine technology for three-layer Blu-ray Discs with a storage volume of about 100 GB. In the Solar division SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES is a recognized supplier for new machines concepts and production processes for crystalline and thin-film solar cells, which increase the efficiency of solar cells and reduce their production costs. SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES establishes itself as a development partner and machine supplier for technologies enabling a sustainable energy provision on the basis of renewable energies. In the Semiconductor segment SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES focuses its activities on the vacuum coating of wafers with ultra-thin layers for the production of MRAM memory, thin-film write/read heads and other semiconductor applications.
SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES continues to expand its know-how in vacuum coating, the automation and process technology as well as the integration of manufacturing lines in order to develop new work areas. To strengthen the existing business activities SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES is currently reviewing concrete acquisition opportunities.
Please visit us at SNEC, International Photovoltaic Power Generation Conference & Exhibition 2013, May 13-16, 2013, Shanghai, China, Booth No. E3 615.
SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES AG, Hanauer Landstrasse 103,
D-63796 Kahl/Main, ISIN: DE0007238909, WKN: 723890
Contact:
Maren Schuster, Investor Relations, Tel.: + 49 (0) 160 9609 0279 Bernhard Krause, Corporate Communications, Tel.: + 49 (0) 1709202924
