• Upgrade of existing production lines possible
• Cell efficiency can be increased by up to 1 %
• PERC cells with efficiency levels of up to 20 % possible
• Cost per watt can be further reduced
• Product launch at the 27th EU PVSEC
Kahl am Main, September 13, 2012 – The SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES AG (SINGULUS) continues to expand its activities in the Solar segment. Numerous product innovations will be presented at the 27th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (27th EU PVSEC), which will take place in Frankfurt am Main from September 25 to 28, 2012. In order to make the manufacturing of silicon photovoltaic modules competitive, a further reduction of the production costs with an increase of the efficiency at the same time is required.
For the market of silicon solar cells SINGULUS presents a new production solution for rear side passivated silicon solar cells (e. g. PERC; Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell). This solution was developed especially for the upgrade of existing cell production lines. With an additional dielectric coating on the rear side electric and optical efficiency losses of the cells are reduced compared with the traditional cells. In particular, this technology is required for increasingly used very thin wafers in the future.
For the upgrade of a production line three additional production steps, which SINGULUS offers solutions for, are required. Before coating the rear side the cell is smoothed with a wet-chemical polish process in a LINEA II Single Side Etch Polish machine. The dielectric passivation layer is emitted in the ICP-PECVD machine SINGULAR. 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 PERC cells with levels of efficiency of up to 20 % can be achieved.
In March 2012 the Institute for Solar Energy Research Hameln (ISFH) increased the conversion efficiency of screen-printed silicon solar cells in cooperation with SINGULUS from today’s industry typical 18.5 % to a record value of 20.1 %. This was also confirmed by an independent measurement from the photovoltaics calibration laboratory of 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.
SINGULUS now commences the active marketing of this technology at the 27th EU PVSEC in Frankfurt.
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.
