global solar technology january 2010 (3.1)

www.globalsolartechnology.com

Volume 3 Number 1 January 2010

NEW PRODUCTS

INDUSTRY NEWS

INTERNATIONAL DIARY

Solar Cell ProCeSS TemPeraTure meaSuremenTS

Flexible non-ConTaCT laSer Soldering For Solar Cell STringS

Solr For inline and roll-To-roll aPPliCaTionS

Gloabl Solar Technology Volume 3 Num

ber 1January 2010

News for the Solar Manufacturing Industry

James HisertInterview Inside

Solar Cell ProCeSS TemPeraTure meaSuremenTS

Flexible non-ConTaCT laSer Soldering For Solar Cell STringS

Solr For inline and roll-To-roll aPPliCaTionS

Global Solar Technology – January 2010 – 1www.globalsolartechnology.com

Contents

2 Solar power generation in the new year Alan Rae

TechNoloGy FocuS

6 Solar cell process temperature measurements Fred Dimock, BTU International

12 Flexible non-contact laser soldering for solar cell strings Andreas Kriegler, teamtechnik

16 Merger & acquisition opportunities in the solar energy market

Chaim Lubin, Lincoln International

SpecIal FeaTureS

18 Technology Focus: SolR for inline and roll-to-roll applications 20 Interview —John West, VLSI28 Interview —James Hisert, Indium Corporation

coluMNS

14 Towards a universal registry of photovoltaic modules and assemblies Matthew Holzmann

24 The world’s largest solar energy powered sport stadium Jennie Hwang

reGular FeaTureS

4 Industry News22 Technological Developments26 New Products36 International Diary

Visit the website for more news & content: www.globalsolartechnology.com.

Contents

Today, laser technology is still an expensive soldering method. Nonetheless, 50% of the stringers teamtechnik builds for customers are equipped for laser soldering.

Global Solar Technology is distributed by controlled circulation to qualified personnel. For all others, subscriptions are avail-able at a cost of £110/US $220/€165 for the current volume (6 issues).

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© Trafalgar Publications Ltd.

Designed and Published by Trafalgar Publications, Bournemouth, United Kingdom

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Volume 3, Number 1 January 2010

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2 – Global Solar Technology – January 2010 www.globalsolartechnology.com

Editorial OfficesEuropeGlobal Solar TechnologyTrafalgar Publications Ltd8 Talbot Hill RoadBournemouthDorset BH9 2JTUnited KingdomTel: +44 (1202) 388997news@globalsolartechnology.comwww.globalsolartechnology.com

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Editor-in-Chief—Trevor GalbraithTel: +44 (0)20 8123 6704 (Europe)Tel: +1 239 567 9736 (US)[email protected]

Managing Editor—Heather [email protected]

Technical Editor—Dr. Alan [email protected]

Editor—Debasish [email protected]

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Editorial

Whether or not you consider 2010 to be the end or the start of the decade, we can look forward to the ‘10’s as the start of a new era in power generation. We (almost) had global consensus in Copenhagen at the back end of the year on the need for a coordinated approach to greenhouse gas limitations. Some argue that climate change is irrelevant, but even if we question human involvement we still have to face the reality that fossil fuels cannot meet future needs—and we need to put in clean energy capacity now.

Solar energy is our only inexhaustible resource. It’s starting to reach grid parity in some areas but has a long way to go. Ironically, the recession and the overbuilding of silicon capacity have really moved us towards that goal.

In the next year we’ll be mapping the changes in the photovoltaics industry as technologies, geographies and subsidies all

morph the supply chain on a regular basis. We’ll be following the vital connections to the grid, whether microinverters or the heavy-duty “grid-friendly” inverters and control systems. We’ll also be following solar thermal power generation where many of the issues and opportunities are common and many are complementary,

New technologies and processes will continue to evolve and we’ll make sure you are the first to know about them and all the developments critical to the growth of Global Solar Technology.

Happy New Year!

—Alan Rae

Dr. Alan Rae

Solar power generation in the new year

Technical Editor, Global Solar Technology

We’d like to take this opportunity to welcome Dr. Alan Rae to the Global SMT & Packaging team as technical editor.

Dr. Rae has been associated with the electronics and ceramics industry for over 25 years and recently has been applying this experience in the fields of nanotechnology and “clean tech.” Before forming his consultancy TPF Enterprises LLC in June 2009, his most recent assignment was at NanoDynamics Inc., developing and commercializing nanotechnology-based products including nano solder, a nano solder replacement, silver and copper for printed electronics, and ALD coated particles. He was successful in running product development as a profit center using contract research funding from U.S. Government and private companies.

Alan is active in industry associations and standards work. He is director of research for iNEMI and leader of the

Sustainability and Nanotechnologies Task Group of ISO TC 229. He has also been active with SMTA, IMAPS and IPC, chaired the JISSO North America Committee for several years and was awarded a Distinguished Committee Service Award for IPC-1066, “Labeling of PCBs and Assemblies.”

Recent publications include a chapter on nanotechnology in “Green Electronics Design and Manufacturing” (McGraw-Hill, 2008). Dr Rae has published and presented on 5 continents and holds 4 US patents and applications.

Alan holds a B.Sc. in Chemistry from the University of Aberdeen as well as a Ph.D. in Metallurgy and Engineering Materials and a M.B.A. in Business Administration from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. He is a member of the Royal Society of Chemistry and a Chartered Chemist.

—Trevor Galbriath

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Industry news

Industry newsMeMc expands scope of solar business with acquisition of Sunedison MEMC Electronic Materials, Inc., has reached a definitive agreement to acquire privately held SunEdison LLC, a developer of solar power projects and North America’s largest solar energy services provider. The acquisition is expected to close by the end of 2009, subject to customary closing conditions and receipt of regulatory approvals. The agreement calls for $200 million to be paid at closing to SunEdison security holders, which will be paid 70% in cash and 30% in MEMC stock. The agreement also includes an earn-out provision, should SunEdison meet certain performance targets in 2010, of up to an additional $89 million, consisting of cash and stock. In addition, the agreement calls for employee retention payments of $17 million in cash at closing, plus up to $34 million in stock which is subject to SunEdison meeting certain performance criteria and time vesting, the payment of certain transaction expenses and the assumption of net debt. www.memc.com, www.sunedison.com

camstar acquires Technology resources GroupCamstar Systems, Inc., has acquired Technology Resources Group, Asia’s leading systems integrator in the semiconductor, solar and electronics manufacturing industries. Headquartered in Singapore with offices in China and Malaysia, Technology Resources Group offers expertise in manufacturing execution equipment automation, manufacturing applications development and program management for enterprise solution deployments. www.techresgroup.com, www.camstar.com

applied Materials acquires the assets of advent SolarApplied Materials, Inc., has acquired substantially all the assets, including the intellectual property, of Advent Solar, Inc., for an undisclosed cash amount. Advent Solar is a developer of advanced technology for crystalline silicon (c-Si) PVs. This acquisition is expected to complement Applied’s portfolio of solar PV technologies and enhance its leadership

in the c-Si equipment market. Advent Solar has pioneered several innovations for producing c-Si cells and modules, including technology for streamlining module assembly processes and advanced efficiency device architectures. The company, founded in 2002, is headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico. www.appliedmaterials.com

Thin-film technology’s share of solar panel market to double by 2013, says iSuppliThin-film solar cells are rapidly taking market share away from the established crystalline technology, with their portion of photovoltaic (PV) wattage more than doubling by 2013, according to iSuppli Corp. Thin-film will grow to account for 31 percent of the global solar panel market in terms of watts by 2013, up from 14 percent in 2008. www.isuppli.com

Dupont and Silicon energy announce first glass-glass photovoltaic modulesSilicon Energy, LLC and DuPont Photovoltaic Solutions announce the world’s first glass-glass polycrystalline silicon (cSi) photovoltaic (PV) power-generating modules made with advanced DuPont™ PV5300 series ionomer-based encapsulant for added module strength and durability. “By combining the high efficiency of crystalline silicon with the

new, stronger encapsulant from DuPont, our module offers a new level of physical strength, durability and improvements in design,” said Gary Shaver, director of sales for Silicon Energy. photovoltaics.dupont.com

WacKer exits from solar wafer businessWacker Chemie AG exits from the solar wafer business and will transfer its shares in its joint venture, WACKER SCHOTT Solar GmbH (WSS), to its former partner, SCHOTT Solar AG. WACKER and SCHOTT Solar have reached agreement on the key points of a sales transaction today. The reason for this move is WACKER’s decision to focus its solar activities from now on exclusively on its core competency which is the production of hyperpure polycrystalline silicon. SCHOTT Solar, on the other hand, concentrates on the downstream side of the photovoltaic value chain, the manufacturing of solar cells and modules. SCHOTT Solar had already absorbed the major part of WSS’s wafer production. In the context of this transaction, WACKER will perform its respective duties as a shareholder and will support WSS with a variety of measures. All in all, Wacker Chemie AG is expecting from its share in WSS a non-recurring negative impact on pre-tax profit of about €50 million as well as an increase in financial debt of some €65 million.


Appointments

Industry news

Global Solar Technology – January 2010 – 5

Solarworld to add module assembly in oregonSolarWorld’s manufacturing operation in Hillsboro, Oregon, will become the first fully integrated monocrystalline photovoltaic plant in the Americas—starting with polysilicon and ending with Sunmodules—when the plant adds module assembly in mid-2010. A new, 210,000-square-foot building nearing completion next to SolarWorld’s 480,000-square-foot main U.S. factory will house 350 megawatts of annual module-manufacturing capacity. Combined with 150 MW in Camarillo, Calif., the company’s capacity will total 500 MW in the United States and 1.15 gigawatts worldwide by 2011. Module assembly will occupy half of the new building, logistics the other half. www.solarworld-usa.com

Greentech investment climate showing strong signs of recoveryVenture Capital investment in greentech looked a lot healthier in the third quarter of 2009 compared to the previous two quarters of this year, according to a report by Greentech Media. The third quarter closed with US $1.9 billion invested in 112 deals compared to $1.2 billion invested in 85 deals in Q2 and $836 million invested in 59 deals in Q1. The dominant investment sector was solar with $576 million invested in 29 deals. Following solar was biofuels with $513 million invested in 17 deals and smart grid with $160 million invested in 14 deals. The year to date the total venture capital investment in greentech stands at $3.9 billion and is already the second best year for greentech. www.greentechmedia.com

enphase energy ships 100,000 solar microinvertersEnphase Energy shipped its 100,000th unit in September 2009, reaching this remarkable milestone just over a year after the product’s launch in July 2008. The company was also recognized by Greentech Media as the fastest-growing solar inverter company in the U.S. in a recent report. “By all indications Enphase will be ramping up to hundreds of thousands of units in 2010, putting microinverters within a rounding error of a 4 percent global market share in the once-stagnant inverter market.,” said Eric Wesoff, senior analyst, GreenTech Media. Enphase Microinverter Systems convert the DC output of a single solar module into grid compliant AC power. www.enphaseenergy.com

Bp Solar announces agreement with Jabil to manufacture solar modules in polandBP Solar announced an agreement with Jabil Circuit, Inc. to manufacture BP Solar modules for the European market in Jabil’s plant in Poland. The agreement calls for an initial capacity of 45 MW in 2009 with the opportunity for expansion as demand increases. bpsolar.com

centrosolar’s module manufacturing output raised to 110 MWpCentrosolar Sonnenstromfabrik, Wismar, one of the biggest solar module plants in Germany, is operating at full capacity, the plant’s original production capacity of 70 MWp having been increased to 110 MWp. 220 new employees have been recruited since the new site opened mid 2008. Centrosolar has created one of Germany’s largest and most modern module manufacturing plants in the guise of its Sonnenstromfabrik at Wismar. The plant uses cutting-edge production facilities to turn out high-quality crystalline modules of the Centrosolar brand. The personnel costs component in solar module production is in the order of just 5 %, thanks to the highly automated production lines used at Wismar. The quality of the starting materials and the care taken in their processing are key to the high performance of the solar modules, which Centrosolar guarantees for a period of at least 26 years. www.centrosolar.com

TSMc may set up thin-film pV plant at cTSpTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) may establish a photovoltaic (PV) production base on an 18-hectare site in the Central Taiwan Science Park (CTSP) to produce thin-film PV modules, according to industry sources. TSMC is recruiting experts and engineers for PV business under its New Business Division, with the number of staff expected to reach about 100 at the end of 2009, the sources indicated. TSMC filed an application with the CTSP administration for renting the land to house a 12-inch fab at an estimated investment of NT$240 billion (US$73 billion) a few years ago, but in February 2009 it gave up the application. However, TSMC has resumed the application specifically for the PV business project. Source: Digitimes, Taiwan.

crS reprocessing Services Scott T. Massie, former CEO of EPV Solar, was named CEO.

DayStar Technologies Michael Matvieshen was appointed CEO, replacing Robert Aldrich who resigned in September.

Global Solar energy Dr. Jeffrey Britt succeeds retiring presi-dent and CEO Michael S. Gering, who will remain chairman.

GT Solar Tom Gutierrez has been elected presi-dent, CEO and a member of the board of directors, succeeding Tom Zarrella.

MeMc electronic MaterialsKen Hannah was promoted to VP of MEMC and president of MEMC Solar Materials. Shaker Sadasivam was appointed executive VP of MEMC and president of MEMC Semiconductor. Tim Oliver has been appointed senior VP and CFO.

MiaSolé MiaSolé appointed Kevin Eassa as VP for manufacturing and operations.

premier powerFrank Sansone replaced Teresa Kelley as CFO.

SchoTT Solar Tom Hecht became executive VP of sales and marketing.

Solar energy Initiatives Thomas A. Polich, Esq., was appointed COO and Chris Wirth chief marketing officer.

Soliant energyDr. Terry Bailey is now chairman and CEO, replacing interim CEO Marco DeMiroz.

continued on page 29


Solar cell process temperature measurements

Practical temperature measurement begins with an understanding of the available equipment, and finishes with understanding the results. Between the two end points, consistency of technique and attention to detail is paramount when accurately obtaining profile data.

profiling the diffusion process

The solar silicon cell diffusion thermal process parameters (temperature, time and uniformity) closely follow those of the thick film and low temperature co-fired ceramic industries. The standard electronic thick film process consists of screen printing metal pastes that have conductive, resistive or dielectric properties on a thin ceramic plate and then firing at 850˚C with a hold of 10 minutes in air. The issues they face are adhesion of the fired material to the ceramic and final resistive or dielectric properties of the metals. Although adhesion is universal for all three categories of paste, the electrical properties are dependant upon the peak temperature, hold time, and ramp rates during firing. It is common to have the peak temperature

specified as ± 3˚C and time at peak as ± 0.5 minutes. Frequently the time over an intermediate temperature is used to define the ramp rates and the amount of thermal energy (heat/work) the product is exposed to. When precision resistors are required, laser trimming is utilized after firing to fine tune them. Very tight control of the starting materials, screen printing process and firing have proven to minimize and at times eliminate the need for laser trimming.

The equipment used for thermal profiling consists of a data logger, trailing thermocouples, and a target. Data loggers can be built into the furnace operational software or be separate systems from companies such as KIC Thermal Systems, Datapaq, or ECD. Robust 20 gage trailing thermocouples, long enough to extend completely through the furnace are used because clearances in the furnace and the time at temperature exclude the use of thermal barriers.

Numerous thermocouple (TC) designs such as solid inconel sheath, ceramic fiber and inconel over braid have been used. Each one has its advantages and

Process engineers and production people continually search for better ways to establish meaningful process control systems. Some of the areas that are getting increased attention in photovoltaics are the thermal profiles required for diffusion, anti-reflective coating, and metallization in continuous or belt furnaces.

Fortunately the electronics industry has established robust profiling techniques that can be applied to the diffusion and anti-reflective coating processes, but metallization or rapid thermal processing (RTP) remains a challenge. It is the intent of this paper to communicate better techniques for the former and show a robust method for measuring the latter.

by Fred Dimock, BTU International, North Billerica, Massachusetts, USA


Keywords: Process Control, Rapid Thermal Processing, Metallization, Temperature Measurement

Figure 1. Three TCs and targets on diffusion furnace belt.



disadvantages. The solid inconel sheath, although the cleanest, is hard to handle, tough to repair and less responsive than the others. The ceramic fiber TCs, although easy to handle, leave behind significant amounts of particles as the insulation degrades. The best compromise is the inconel “over braided” TC. It is almost as clean as the sheath, easy to handle and wind on profiling spools, and can be configured with an open tip to respond quickly.

Choosing the thermal target and method for mounting the TC requires experience and skill. The best target has proven to be the actual product. The best mounting method keeps the TC junction in intimate contact with the target without shielding it from the heat. In the case of silicon solar cells the target is the center of an actual cell that is the same color as those being processed. The mounting method is a bit more difficult because the thin silicon is fragile. We have found that bending last ½ to ¾ inch of the TC at 45°, attaching the TC to the belt with bare 24 gage TC wire, and using the pressure produced by the springiness of the wire to keep the tip in contact with the target works well.

When multiple TCs are run through the oven at the same time, one has to be “quick, nimble, and precise” to get the targets and TCs in place. But belt speed of less than 35 IPM allow enough time for a practiced person to apply numerous TCs across the belt. Some people have simulated the silicon target with a stainless steel fixture. This works with limited success. The stainless fixture gives a relative indication of the true temperature but, as in the case of a wafer, the color affects the ramp rates and temperature.

profiling the anti-reflective coating processThe equipment and techniques used to obtain a thermal profile of an inline anti-reflective coating process parallels those that are used for diffusion. Due to

lower peak temperatures (400-470˚C) the thermocouples can be as small as 30 gage with woven glass insulation. If the peak temperature is over 480˚C, 24 gage wire with high temperature glass insulation is needed.

Attachment methods can vary from epoxies (up to 300˚C) to ceramic cements, but experience has shown that most of these have limited life and they insulate the TC junction from the real temperature. Thus the spring loaded techniques developed for thick film/diffusion works best.

profiling the metallization processProfiling the metallization process presents many interesting challenges. There are fast ramps, short peak times, limited clearances in the furnace, and belt speeds that can be as high as 200+ ipm. When BTU purchased the rapid thermal processing technology, we were told to use thin 0.020 inch diameter Inconel clad traveling TCs (i.e. 25 ft long) for profiling. When asked about temperature uniformity from side to side in the furnace, we were told that we needed to slow the belt speed and make multiple passes to identify the peak temperatures in each lane.

We quickly learned that this did not

work well and our experience told us that there had to be a better way. The major problems were excessive resistance in the long wires, problems with handling the long TCs, and mounting the TCs to the target. Utilizing our experience in the surface mount industry we determined that using a “lead free solder” thermal shield on a KIC 2000 data logger and shortening the TCs to about eighteen inches would fix the resistance and handling problem. We wanted to shorten the TC more but knew that it was important to have the thermal barrier at least a zone length behind the target.

Acquisition rates of the data logger were critical because of the fast ramps and very short peak times. If data acquisition rate is too slow we will not see the peak temperature. Additionally, care had to be taken when setting up the software to ensure we got an accurate representation of the ramp rates. The original KIC 2000 gave good results at 10 readings per second, while the new SunKIC and DataPaq are better at 20 reading per second. Adjusting the software to report the ramp rate over time intervals of 1.5 to 3 seconds ensured that we were not getting false readings.

Construction of the TC became an issue when we learned that the short 0.020 inch TCs could be purchased with a tip that was exposed, closed ungrounded, or closed grounded. The exposed tip TC was quickly eliminated when we confirmed that the lessons we learned about TC degradation in air during the temperature measurement of the precision resistor process also applied to solar metallization. See “Thermal Degradation of Type K Thermal Couples at 850˚C and 250° C”1 Additionally we determined that the grounded tip helped eliminate noise and theoretically gave faster response because

Temperature range Insulation TC Diameter

To 480˚C Glass fiber 24 or 30

To 700˚C High temp glass fiber 20 or 24

To 950˚C Ceramic fiber 20

To 950˚C Ceramic fiber with Inconel braid 20

To 1300˚C Inconel sheath Varies

*Other wire gage sizes will work but this is for robust techniques

Table 1. TC insulation and wire size limitations.

Figure 2. TCs with fixture and wafer.



the tip was in contact with the outer shell of the TC. Finally we changed from the Inconel shield to Super Omegaclad® XL probes because it gave better life.

TC attachment remained an issue until we utilized the procedures we had developed for thick film and furnace brazing. Due to the speeds we couldn’t wire the TCs to the belt but found that we could make a simple fixture to hold the TCs in place with their tips in contact with a wafer.

About this time we found a paper written by Hoornstra et.al.2 that described the thermal profiling of the metallization process with a data logger and belt speeds up to 70 ipm. It discussed the problems with TC attachment and described the effects of wire diameter. They also reported that they had tried numerous ceramic cements before finding three that worked. With this information, we began experiments with ceramic cements. We found a few that would do a good job of attaching the TC to the wafer, but their thermal mass blocked the response of the TC. We then purchased an expensive 800 micron thick test wafer with very fine TCs that were attached with very small amounts of cement. We quickly found that the resultant profile peaked at 400˚C when the oven was at 950˚C. Since our normal readings were over 850˚C, we returned to the short 0.020 inch Omegaclad® TC and fixture.

As our search for accuracy and repeatability progressed we realized that many factors affected the profile. One of the earliest discoveries was the color of the wafer. Initially we used a simple 200 micron AR coated mono-crystalline wafer without metal for our work. When we began it was dark blue but as we ran trial after trial it progressively changed to light blue. (One of our technicians actually said that it was like his blue jeans that become lighter each time they were washed.) Then we broke our wafer and got a new dark blue one. To our amazement it showed a peak temperature increase of over 35˚C. Changing from the faded wafer to an uncoated wafer dropped the peak temp by 25˚C. Later we tested a wafer with metal TC bond and saw in increase of over 30˚C. As the peak temperature went up we also saw corresponding changes in the ramp rate.

Likewise we learned that the color of the Omegaclad® thermocouple made a difference. We used a set of TCs for numerous runs without incident, but during one run we damaged a TC in the return roller and had to replace it. During

the next run the new TC ran 45˚C colder than the others. Then over the next 5-6 runs the difference slowly decreased until they all read the same again. This motivated us to find a way to pre-condition the TCs. We ultimately found that if we darkened a new TC by heating the first 3-4 inches with a lighter and allowing it to cool a few times it quickly read the same as TCs that had been run numerous times.

Breaking wafers and damaging TCs helped us refine our procedures. In one instance we broke a wafer and in haste to complete a trial used a 600 micron thick wafer instead of the 200 micron wafer we had been using. As you can guess, there was a significant difference in the heating rates and peak temperatures. Later we were able to see differences of 50 to 75˚C between 125 and 156 mm wafers.

As expected, the amount of metal on the wafer also changes the profile. In fact we found that there was a difference when we placed the tip of the TC on a metal line or between the lines. Some of the differences approached 50 and 60˚C.

Initially our furnace had a flat belt, but with the advent of a fluted belt (belt with standoffs that contacted the wafer at 4 to 6 points) we saw more changes in peak temperatures. The peak temperature rose by 15-30˚C without corresponding increases in observed ramp rates.

The knowledge that color, mass, belt type, and attachment method affects the profile created questions about our ability to measure the real temperature of the wafer during processing. There are questions about where we measure the temperature. Are we interested in the temperature of the metal being sintered? Is it the temperature of the wafer? Do we want the temperature of the interface between the wafer and the metal? Etc. Add the fact that placing a TC in the environment being measured, changes the temperature. But it is possible to obtain useful data and compare process states if we are consistent in our measurement

methods and look at the profile attributes in a consistent manner.

hardware and methodologyWe have learned many things profiling the silicon solar metallization process but the most important reality remains - one has to pay close attention to the details. As said at the beginning of this paper, consistency of technique and attention to detail is paramount. And from a production point of view we also need to add simplicity, robustness, and ease of obtaining the parts.

Following is a listing of the standard equipment and methods we have developed:

Target—156 mm x 156 mm x 200 micron AR coated, dark blue, mono-crystalline wafer without metal. a. The wafer can be a different

size or polycrystalline only if required by the customer’s process, but comparison to our standard results cannot be made.

b. The wafer needs to be replaced when it begins to lose the dark blue color.

TCs—Four 18 inch long, 0.020 inch diameter grounded type K Omegaclad® special limits TCs purchased from Omega Engineering (part number KMQXL-020G 18).a. TC Preparation: Darken the

first 3 inches by heating until it glows red with a lighter or low temp torch and air cool. Repeat 3-4 times.

b. Bend the last ½ inch of the TCs to approximately 30˚.

Fixture—1.5 in x 3 in x .040 in stainless steel with screws and washers.

Figure 3. Flat and fluted belts.



Attachment—Attach the TC to the fixture with the tips extending 3.5 inches.a. Hold them in place by gently

squeezing them under the washers.

b. Be sure to have the bent tips pointed down.

c. Adjust the TCs so the tips are about ½ inch apart and ½ to ¾ inch below the surface of the fixture.

Profiler—Plug the TCs into a profiler with a fast data acquisition rate and place the profiler in the correct heat shield.

Placement—Place the wafer on the belt followed by the TCs/fixture /profiler. The TCS should be placed in the center of the wafer using the spring action to keep the points in contact with the wafer.

profile analysisAnalyzing the profile is a subject all by itself. As said earlier, it is impossible to determine the exact temperature but we can compare process states if the procedures are consistent. The most obvious comparisons are peak temperature, ramp rates and time over a particular temperature but in reality these can present inaccuracies and confusion if the calculation method and equipment are not consistent.

1. TC Accuracy—The first step in analyzing any profile is to understand the accuracy of the equipment. Thermal profilers have amazing accuracy by themselves. They are able to easily translate the output from a TC into a temperature reading that we can use. But the TCs present a problem. Even the best type K TCs (special limits) have a specified accuracy of ±1.1˚C or ±0.4% of the reading – whichever is greater. At first glance this looks good but at 850˚C

this translates to ±3.4˚C for a total range of 6.8˚C. Fortunately one can purchase “Certified TCs” that document the offset at a specific temperature at an added cost if needed.

2. Ramp rates—It is common to define the ramp rate as the temp difference from 580˚C to the highest temperature divided by the time it takes to cover that temperature range. Some people report the maximum instantaneous ramp rate (aka derivative) or the max ramp rate over a very small increment of time. This method can make a 130˚C/sec average ramp look like it is 200˚C/sec. (Note: at 160˚C/sec, the time from 580 to 900˚C is two seconds.) Materials tend to buffer small irregularities in the profile that the derivative method reports so process engineers prefer information that is real and use the average ramp method.

3. Peak temperature—The Hoornstra et.al. paper described the thermal profiling of the metallization process with a data logger up to 70 ipm for a good reason: it is almost impossible to obtain repeatable data with high belt speeds. Differences of 10 and 15˚C are normal at 180+ IPM, but we have seen them as low as 1.5˚C.

4. Time over—The time over a particular temperature can be used to compare profiles but one must be careful if you have designed a knee into the ramp. We generally look at the time above 600˚C and or 700˚C.

conclusionsBTU’s vast experience in precision temperature and atmosphere control for

the electronics and material processing industries has been applied to solar cell manufacturing with great success. The ease of profiling the continuous diffusion and anti-reflective coating processes has been contrasted with the complexity of profiling the metallization process. But the fundamentals of consistent techniques and attention to detail remain. The procedures

Figure 4. Type K thermocouple max error chart.

Figure 5. Derivative method showing 200˚C/sec when the actual rate between 580˚C and the peak is 130˚C/sec.

Figure 6. Typical metallization profile.



that are outlined in this paper are simple and robust, with most parts being easy to obtain from standard sources.

In the case of the diffusion/AR coating processes, most furnace onboard profilers and separate data loggers work well with trailing TCs. The metallization process poses a significant challenge to profilers due to the fast ramp rates and short times at the peak temperature. Thus data acquisition rates of 10 to 20 readings per second are required, with 20 being better.

In each process, TC choice and consistent mounting procedures are important. TC accuracy is a minor issue, but wafer mass, and the color of the wafer/TC can make very large differences in the profile. Due to many possible variations, we standardized on a 156 x 156 AR coated 200mm thick mono-crystalline wafer for the metallization process.

Analysis of the profile results can vary from the simple peak temperature with time over a specific temperature for the diffusion/AR coating processes to the dramatic ramp rates and high temperature spikes for the metallization process. With fast ramps one needs to ensure that they are being calculated over the correct ranges other wise the results will be misleading.

Obtaining accurate repeatable profiles can be done when one is consistent and pays strict attention to the details.

references1. Dimock, Fred—Experiences In

Obtaining Cross Belt Uniformity Of ± 1˚C In A 24 Inch Wide Thick Film Conveyor Furnace, Proceedings pgs 860-863, 35th International Symposium on Microelectronics (IMAPS), Denver CO, September 6 2002

2. Hoornstra, J.; Heide, A.S.H. van der; Bultman, J.H.; Weeber, A.W. —Simple, detailed & fast firing furnace temperature profiling for improved efficiency, ECN-RX--02-049; October, 2002; 4 pag., Presented at PV in Europe - From PV Technology to Energy Solutions Conference and Exhibition, Rome, Italy, 7-11 October, 2002.

acknowledgements:The author wishes to thank Eric Gabaree, George Morin, Ron Guild, and the technicians in the BTU Final Test Department for their highly valued assistance.

Thin-film solar cells are rapidly taking market share away from the established crystalline technology, with their portion of photovoltaic (PV) wattage more than doubling by 2013, according to iSuppli Corp. Thin-film will grow to account for 31 percent of the global solar panel market in terms of watts by 2013, up from 14 percent in 2008.

“The market viability of thin-film has been solidly established by First Solar Inc. as it rockets to become the world’s top solar panel maker this year, with more than a gigawatt of production,” said Greg Sheppard, chief research officer for iSuppli. “At the same time, the company has driven its cost of production to less than 90 cents per watt, keeping its costs at approximately half the level of crystalline module producers.”

crystal vs. thin filmMost solar panels are made of crystalline wafers with 180 to 230 microns of polysilicon. In contrast, thin-film panels are made by depositing multiple layers of other materials a few micrometers in thickness on a substrate. The main tradeoff between the two technologies is efficiency versus cost per watt of electricity generation.

Thin-film panels are less efficient at converting sunlight to electricity, but they also cost significantly less to make. At the same time thin-film is at a disadvantage when installation space is limited, such as on a residential rooftop. A thin-film installation can take 15 percent to 40 percent more space to achieve the same total system wattage output as crystalline. This tends to limit its appeal in certain applications.

price comparisonThe average thin-film solar panel price is expected to decline to $1.40 in 2010, down 17.6 percent from $1.70 in 2009. Average prices for crystalline panels are expected to drop to $2.00 in 2010, down 20 percent from $2.50

this year. Through 2012, crystalline prices will continue to close the thin-film pricing gap to some degree because its purveyors collectively have deeper pockets and keep pouring on capital spending, technology R&D developments and manufacturing refinements, iSuppli expects.

The many technologies of thin-filmMany types of thin-film PV technologies are available. Their efficiencies in converting light to electricity mostly hover at less than 10 percent, although some have lab results pushing into the mid-teens. Some of these technologies are what is known as single-junction, where one diode is used. Recent developments use multiple junctions stacked on top of one another—also called tandem and triple junction—so that more parts of the spectrum can be absorbed using different combinations, or junctions, of material.

Most of these technologies rely on variants of chemical vapor deposition (CVD), or screen printing, to deposit the layers of materials on various substrates, i.e., glass and various plastics. Some recent technologies employ variants of ink-jet printing to more quickly deposit the materials. Another accelerator of thin-film technology is the rising availability of turn-key production lines from companies such as Applied Materials, Oerlikon, and Centrotherm.

For more information on this topic, see iSuppli’s new report, “Thin-Film PV Thriving in an Era of Cheap.” www.isuppli.com.

Thin-Film technology’s share of solar panel market to double by 2013


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Flexible non-contact laser soldering for solar cell strings

Today’s standard stringing technologies use different soldering processes. Soldering with infra-red light (IR-light) is one of the oldest and best known. Other common technologies are induction, hot air and contact soldering.

With the trend towards thinner cell material, laser soldering offers a considerable advantage over IR-light, as the energy required is not applied two-dimensionally to a surface but with pinpoint precision. This technology minimizes the amount of heat acting on the solar cell. The precisely controlled application of soldering energy provides great flexibility in a wide range of applications. For example, in addition to conventional cells, back-contact cells and other ribbon geometries can also be laser soldered.

Throughout the soldering process, a hold-down device developed specifically for this purpose by teamtechnik ensures the precise positioning and alignment of cell and ribbon.

One of the primary differences in

the system periphery is that this concept enables soldering only to be carried out at this stage and there is no additional handling. With the hold-down device, all the other processes can be done in parallel. This reduces costly processing time and a cycle time of three seconds can be accomplished throughout the machine.

What are the primary objective criteria for evaluating soldering quality? They are the pull-off force of the ribbon and the homogeneity of the soldered section. The pull-off forces are defined as the force required to peel the ribbon from the cell. These forces should be at least 1N per millimeter width of the ribbon. The pull-off forces depend on the quality of the cell, the flux and the ribbon and how they are combined. The soldering result should ideally provide high pull-off forces with low cell tension. In addition, a homogeneous and consistent joint along the busbar is required. Stress causes faulty joints to crack open between the cell and the ribbon, reducing conductivity and current flow in the whole of the solar panel.

Today, the process to connect individual solar cells and solar strings with conductive ribbon is almost entirely automated. With cells becoming increasingly thinner and therefore more sensitive, the challenges facing this technology are growing. Cells, ribbons and flux have to be soldered together in various combinations at lower cycle times in a dependable and capable process.

Only a minimum of thermal stress can occur in order to avoid stress cracks on the cell and the cell-ribbon connections.

by Andreas Kriegler, teamtechnik


Keywords: Stringing, Laser Soldering, Solar Cell Strings

Figure 1. STRINGER TT by teamtechnik: optionally with IR-light or laser technology.



How does laser soldering work in detail? The laser beam generates energy that is applied with precision in order to melt the solder on the ribbon. The energy is concentrated into just a few millimeters, and moved precisely with a scanner throughout the area of the soldered joint. A non-contact pyrometer constantly feeds back temperature readings in order to control the laser spot precisely. The laser then serially scans the busbar and accurately solders the ribbon to the cell so as to achieve high geometrical quality in the length, straightness, cell gap, cell/ribbon position and alignment.

The actual soldering process is

supported by multiple heat zones that pre-heat the cells from below and activate the flux. Each heat zone can be adjusted and controlled separately and the temperatures for pre- and post-soldering can be set precisely according to the cell-type.

Axel Riethmüller, manager of teamtechnik’s solar division, summarizes the primary advantages of laser-soldering: “Laser technology provides a very high level of flexibility for fine tuning in order to achieve the best possible soldering results on different material combinations and alloys. A machine is therefore not

restricted to one cell type but can be used for different cell types and sizes. The closed-loop process balances out variations in the material to

achieve stable and continuous soldering quality. When running different cell types on one and the same machine, there is no mechanical adjustment required to adapt the soldering to the different busbars. The adjustment is carried out via recipes only.”

Today, laser technology is still an expensive soldering method. Nevertheless, at teamtechnik’s customers’ request, approximately 50% of the stringers built by teamtechnik are equipped for laser soldering. One reason is undoubtedly that the flexibility of laser technology will allow more scope for dealing with the challenges that future materials might bring.

Teamtechnik also benefits from this technology and has successfully completed tests on 130 μm thick cells and unleaded ribbon.

Figure 2. Laser process for more flexibility.

Figure 3. Laser Technology: precise and contiguous soldering.

Figure 4. Pull-off force testing. Figure 5. Stringer machine assembly at teamtechnik.


Making I-V and C-V measurements on solar/photovoltaic

The issues surrounding serialization of photovoltaic modules and related large assemblies have been under discussion for some time. One major industry standard is for a minimum 25-year product lifetime and warranty on every module. The financial models for many government programs and incentives are predicated upon this fact. Many of the issues surrounding serialization are generational and include:

• Product lifetime• Warranty• Traceability• Compliance to building codes• Fire and safety• Theft• Counterfeiting• Reuse and recycling

In a world of impermanence, the only constant is change. While the module itself is relatively static, the environment in which it is used is not. Thus long-term identification of individual modules/assemblies will be critical to the growth of the industry as we move forward. Let us consider each of these issues.

Lifetime—The average minimum lifetime for a photovoltaic module is 25 years. Operationally, modules are often exposed to the harshest of elements and environments over this lifetime. The potential for significant degradation of cosmetics or functionality based upon the environment and application is a given.

Warranty—Common sense and engineering experience tell us that a certain percentage of any product will fail

before its expected warranty expiration or projected operational lifetime. This data must be tracked by the manufacturer, the distributor, the user, insurance companies and repair centers in order to both provide engineering feedback and replacement of defective product.

Traceability—Based upon a capacity of 4-6 GW/year at current levels, if predicated upon conventional mono and Polycrystalline based product, the global production rate is in the range of 18,000,000-22,000,000 modules per year. Data on manufacturer, manufacturing date, manufacturing location, and serialization can be used both externally by customers and certification bodies, any insurance or guarantee function and internally by the manufacturer to provide 100% identification of individual modules.

Compliance to Building Codes—Depending upon the location, governmental building regulations can demand specific performance and design data of various types and models of photovoltaic modules. Simple documentation and labeling will allow those organizations to accurately and rapidly identify products and manufacturers to assure compliance to local, regional, national and transnational standards for permitting and enforcement processes.

Fire & Safety—While modules are built to UL, CE and other safety standards, because they are an electrical product with inherent risks, it is essential to be able to trace individual modules for forensic

purposes. A central registry would allow rapid identification of product involved in any fire or safety issues. In this way manufacturers can be notified and if a product recall is advised, the responsible party can identify users of that product to carry out notification.

Theft—Because of the high value of photovoltaic products, certain jurisdictions have reported thefts of individual modules and even complete systems. Many modules produced until recently have not had any form of identification. Traceability would allow law enforcement to investigate criminal activity beyond a reasonable doubt.

Counterfeiting—There has been anecdotal evidence of counterfeiting of either particular products or designs. An international identification system would ensure verification of product manufacturer and design with the ability to cross reference to trademarks and other intellectual property.

Recycling—Cradle to grave requirements and initiatives in many countries do and will require efficient recycling of all electrical products. Commercially, recycling is in itself an industry. Identification of product type, which would then allow both some identification of materials and of the basic manufacturing process used would allow for more efficient and safer recycling of photovoltaic products.

Presently there are in excess of 400 photovoltaic module/product manufacturers globally. While a number

Matthew Holzmann

Towards a universal registry of photovoltaic modules and assemblies


Christopher Associates Inc.



of these companies already have in place their own identification systems, this information is primarily used for internal purposes and does not translate across the stakeholder base. Stakeholders include:

• End users• Installers/distributors• Master distributors• Manufacturers• Insurance/fulfillment• Government• Existing certification and test

organizations• Other global participants

The very nature of the industry as it exists requires that any standard enacted be international in scope. Existing organizations such as ISO or ICANN offer models for a potential structure for a Photovoltaic Module Identification Number (PV-MIN).

Using the automotive Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) system as an example, the following designators are available:

• World manufacturer identifier• Basic product attributes• Manufacturing year• Factory code• Individual module identifier • Verification

Country codes, module type, rating, year, factory, and individual part number can be incorporated in a PV-MIN. Alternately, the ICANN structure of domain name registration can be considered as a model or other alternatives can be considered.

Because any effort would have to be multinational with the involvement of standards organizations, companies, and perhaps even government at some point, a neutral, and consensus based process is required. Compliance would be strictly voluntary, but this registration system could then also be used by those stakeholders involved as both an internal and external tool. ISO standards compliance as well as UL, CE, TuV, ETL certification and internal quality and management systems can be cross referenced and integrated as the participant feels fits their business model. Administration of such a system will be ongoing and have a cost, so this must be discussed and factored into the decision making process as well.

Practically, many manufacturers are already embedding identification information into their modules. In addition to standardization of nomenclature, there must be some

discussion of application as well. In the case of Vehicle Identification Numbers, that industry builds 30+ million units per year, necessitating 17 characters. Size, uniform design, and location of such labeling to optimize cost, label lifetime, and use are another point of discussion.

These issues have been individually by a number of stakeholders. Collectively, there is an overwhelming case for action. There will be other challenges as well as the technology and processes progress. It is my hope that with input from a wide range of stakeholders internationally, the industry

can both improve its business model and deliver the best product possible.


Matthew Holzmann is president of Christopher Associates, Santa Ana,

California. He can be reached at [email protected]

Flexible STRiNGeR SYSTeMSwiTh NoN-coNTacTSoldeRiNG TechNoloGieS

iR light or laser soldering

STRiNGeR TT

for high quality strings.

900 or 1200 cycles/h

www.teamtechnik.com


Merger & acquisition opportunities in the solar energy marketTaiwan resumes growth in solar manufacturing

The solar energy industryThe market for solar power is growing across the globe. During 2008, the amount of solar power put in place worldwide grew by 61%, reaching 14GW in total installations by the end of 20081. Ger-many still remains the leading country with 5GW installed as of 20082 (Figure 1).

The key factor pushing growth in solar has been the incentive structures created by governments to bridge the economic gap between traditional electricity and solar power. Today’s solar technology has still not yet reached complete “grid parity” (where solar electricity based on a certain $/kWh would be equal to the price currently paid for electricity). Therefore, without the tax incentives and rebate structures being put in place a consumer will still lean towards traditional electricity from a capital outlay and overall cost/return perspective. This explains why Germany is the leading country in installed solar power as their “feed in tariff” structure ranging from 0.32€-0.43€ per kWh exceeds the average cost of traditional electricity3.

In the U.S. the largest incentive that is in place currently is the Investment Tax Credit (ITC). This credit provides 30% of the capital cost of putting a solar system in place back in the form of a credit to tax. In addition for 2010 guidance has been given by the U.S. government that this credit will be available as a cash grant for applicable

solar projects providing a more immediate incentive4. The next major incentive is the allowable accelerated depreciation that can be taken for an installed solar system. These two incentives combined can provide an approximate 40% savings of the total cost of a solar system. However, even with the tax incentives the cost per kWh from the solar system will still be higher than traditional electricity. This is why on a state by state basis different rebate structures are given to level the costs and drive renewable energy growth.

Another factor that is potentially shifting the U.S. market towards solar are the state level Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) requirements. An RPS requires utilities to generate a certain amount of their electricity through renewable sources. Currently 28 states have adopted some form of RPS requirements and five additional states have voluntary standards5. The full implementation of these standards range from 2010 to 2030, but can reach as high as 40% of the total utility generation6. When these programs

Development into solar can seem foreign, or even a daunting task, considering the challenges facing EMS companies in today’s economy. However, by understanding the solar process and the existing business model dynamics, it becomes clear that the future of solar involves electronics manufacturers. This connection between EMS and solar has been validated through several precedent transactions that have occurred over the last year, driven both by EMS businesses who recognize the similarities between module assembly and existing electronics manufacturing processes as well as by existing solar companies that recognize the value of outsourcing this part of their business.

This paper covers the market for solar and its existing growth expectations, the solar value chain and how similarities between solar module assembly and electronics manufacturing provide a unique opportunity for EMS companies, and approaches EMS companies can pursue, with the advantages and disadvantages of both.

by Chaim Lubin, Lincoln International, Chicago, IL, USA

Merger & acquisition opportunities in the solar energy market

Keywords: Manufacturing, Business, Opportunities

Originally published in the Proceedings of the SMTA International Conference, San Diego, California, October 4 - 8, 2009

Figure 1. Installed photovoltaic capacity by geography.


Merger & acquisition opportunities in the solar energy marketTaiwan resumes growth in solar manufacturing

begin to be implemented (and in certain states this has already begun) it will cause the U.S. solar market to grow faster than anywhere else in the world.

california solarTwo specific factors are positioning Cali-fornia to be the largest market for solar energy in the world. One is the California Solar Initiative (CSI). The CSI is a rebate structure (similar to the feed in tariffs dis-cussed above) that provides the economics necessary to balance solar with traditional electricity. However, the fundamental shift towards further solar installations is being caused by the upcoming RPS require-ments in California. The current program is scheduling 20% of the power coming from the utility companies to be required to be sourced through renewable energy by 2010. On an order of magnitude this would represent approximately 10GW of electric capacity7. As of July 2009 49% of the projects that are fulfilling the RPS requirements in California are solar, so at this rate solar capacity in California could reach 5GW or more in the next few years8. This would equate California to Germany in total installed capacity.

With California and the new federal administration pushing renewable energy and solar it is only matter of time for other states to follow with incentive structures and the implementation of RPS for the U.S. to realize the phenomenal market potential that is expected. Therefore, companies are looking for ways that they can participate within the solar value chain in order to capture some of this value.

The solar energy value chainA solar project is typically initiated either with a commercial or residential customer or direct with a utility (the “customer”). The customer has a key decision to make as to whether they want to retain owner-ship of the project or whether they will

let another party have this ownership. The difference is that the project owner (the “Developer”) will be responsible for the necessary capital outlay for all of the solar equipment and its installation. If the customer chooses not to

“own” the project, they will not have

the capital cost and rather will only be responsible for paying for the solar electricity. Under this approach, a power purchase agreement (PPA) is created with between the developer and the customer. The PPA will structure how the developer will get paid for providing the solar power produced from the installed system. The developer is then responsible to organize the engineering, procurement, and con-struction (EPC) for the solar project. Most developer companies do not provide the EPC work themselves and rather outsource this function to EPC companies that act similar to general contractors and focus on this part of the value chain. The developer will focus on securing the debt and equity financing needed to fund the capital outlay for the project while the EPC companies will design the solar system, build or source the solar modules and other necessary equipment, and arrange for the installation (typically subcontracted out to certified providers unless the EPC company has this capability internally).

As mentioned some EPC companies produce their own solar modules, but the majority source these modules from

major solar module manufacturers around the globe. Although there are many varying technologies surrounding solar modules there are two main types, crystalline cell modules and thin film modules. Currently over 90% of modules produced are crystalline9. This is mainly due to crystalline-based modules having two to three times the efficiency (level of sunlight input converted into electric output) of modules utilizing thin film technology. On average thin film modules average approximately 8% efficiency while crystalline modules average around 18% efficiency10. However, thin film modules are becoming increasingly popular as the cost for a thin film module can be less than half of a crystalline one. (A summary of the solar value chain is presented in Figure 2).

Solar module assemblyThe production of either a thin film or crystalline module requires the assembly of many different pieces in order to cre-ate one solar module. The assembly of a crystalline module contains many similar functions to EMS company processes. For instance the tabbing and stringing of crys-talline cells together to make a solar panel is very similar to processes used in PCB assembly (the basic solar module assembly process is outlined in Figure 3).

EMS companies are able to utilize their existing expertise to make the assembly process for solar more efficient and cost effective.

Currently, many solar companies are performing this assembly function internally much like large OEMs in the electronics industry used to be vertically integrated to include electronics manufacturing services. Similarly to the electronics industry solar companies are realizing today that the assembly of

Silicon

Ingot

Wafer

Solar

Module

Solar

Cell

EPC

Developer

Solar System with

Customer

The Solar Energy Value Chain

Figure 2. The solar energy value chain.

Figure 3. The solar module assembly process.

continued on page 19


Technology Focus: SolR for inline and roll-to-roll applications

Technology Focus:

SolR for inline and roll-to-roll applications LayTec has developed a new in-line monitoring system that is capable of measuring the properties of the layers throughout the solar cell manufacturing process: layer thickness of each layer, conductivity of transparent oxide layers, effective absorption, roughness and texture. LayTec’s contactless optical monitor SolR helps to keep the processes tightly within the specification limits by direct feed-back to the growth control system and statistical process control, identify and correct anomalies, accelerate development cycles, transfer established processes to new lines and re-establish conditions after maintenance.

SolR is based on specular spectroscopic reflectance measurements (500-1600 nm) and is applicable basically to all major PV thin-film structures: CIGS- and CdTe-based thin-film solar cells, a-Si/μc-Si tandem cells and anti-reflective coatings on mc-Si and c-Si solar wafers. Since light reflected from the surface and all interfaces within a layer stack interferes, the spectrum of the reflected light shows an interference pattern bearing information on the refractive index n, the index of absorption k and the thickness d of all layers so far

deposited in the PV thin-film process. A special communicating system of metrology stations takes reflectance spectra after every single deposition step with the optical heads positioned in the transfer lines between the deposition chambers (Figure 2).

SolR is adaptable to virtually any process system. The small optical heads can be installed even inside vacuum chambers; the control computer communicates with

the production line control to assure that measurements after each deposition step relate to the same position; to overcome the scattering of rough materials, we have developed focusing optical heads with large aperture for detecting specular reflection, the heads additionally suppress artifacts caused by substrate bow.

Figure 3 shows typical thickness measurements of the CIGS absorber layer and CdS buffer layer measured in the same roll-to-roll process. The thickness of the CIGS absorber layer is measured between 1900 and 2000 nm with the accuracy of ± 1 % (Fig. 3a). The thickness of the CdS buffer layer varies between 50 and 65 nm and is measured with an accuracy of ± 2 %.

Apart of the layer thickness, the spectra from transparent conducting oxide layers (TCOs) like ZnO:Al or SnO2:F give information about the conductivity of the layer. The light absorption by free carriers extends to the near infrared range of the spectrum. The absorption modifies the refractive index dispersion (between 1000 nm and 1600 nm). This, in turn, causes a decrease of the infrared reflected light intensity and of the amplitude of Fabry-Perot oscillations (Figure 4). The effect increases with the concentration of free carriers in the material. Hence, based on ex-situ pre-calibration, the infrared reflectance provides on-line, real-time information about the TCO conductivity.

For superstrate structures this is quite straightforward because the in-line

Figure 1. Optical head of the SolR installed in a roll-toroll system for investigation of CIGS-based structure on foil.

Figure 2. Set-up of SolR integrated into a CIGS-based production line.


Technology Focus: SolR for inline and roll-to-roll applications

the solar modules is more effective to be outsourced. As an example BP Solar outsourced some module assembly to Celestica and recently Day4 Energy sold its assembly operations to Jabil. In addition other major solar panel producers are looking towards the outsourcing business model in order to focus on other areas of core competency.

opportunity for eMSThe real opportunity that is now being presented to EMS companies is the ability to differentiate operations by adding solar module assembly. This will help gain access to a growing market and can create eco-nomic benefit even in turbulent times for electronics manufacturing. There are two methods that an EMS company can pursue in order to enter the solar market. The first

is by developing the internal know-how and capabilities needed to assemble solar modules. The second is to acquire those capabilities from a vertically integrated solar company or other existing module assembly company.

While developing these capabilities internally allows a company to see the process get online from start to finish this can be timely and costly to undertake. It is not only much faster to acquire the capabilities and necessary know-how, but it can also be less of a cost outlay depending on the learning curve of a company.

Solar companies are now willing to entertain a purchase of assembly operations as it will provide valuable working capital that these companies need to focus on technological improvements and further R&D. Therefore EMS

companies should capitalize on the current trends in the market and look towards solar for future growth prospects.

references1. EPIA 20092. EPIA 20093. Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG)

20094. American Recovery and Reinvestment

Act5. U.S. Department of Energy6. U.S. Department of Energy7. California Energy Commission8. California Public Utility Commission,

“Renewable Portfolio Standard Quar-terly Report”, July 2009

9. Photon International10. Energy Information Administration

(EIA)

Merger & acquisition opportunities—continued from page 17

monitored TCO is still a single layer structure on a transparent substrate. But even for TCOs on conductive sub-layers (as in the CIGS solar cell structure) a useful correlation between the IR optical real-time response, and the specific resistance can be established.

references1. K. von Rottkay, M. Rubin, Mater. Res.

Soc. Symp. Proc. 426 (1996) 449

Figure 3. In-line position resolved thickness measurements: 3a) thickness determination of the absorber (CIGS) - 1900-2000 nm CIGS: accuracy ± 1 %. 3b) thickness determi-nation of CdS buffer layer– 50-65 nm CdS: accuracy ± 2 %.

Figure 4. Fig. 4: Reflectance spectra of three TCO layers with different specific resistance on glass substrates.


Taiwan resumes growth in solar manufacturingInterview

The big questions for these tool suppliers include which companies will be able to make the investments and which tools will see profitable growth? And will we see a shakeout in the tool sector in the drought before orders start to pick up?The PV tool supply difference has quite different dynamics from other tool markets. There are indeed many suppliers and we can expect to see some shakeout where products are undifferentiated. The big difference is in the market dynamics. Although conditions may appear to be adverse, companies are staying in the game to catch the upturn.

It looks though we have a lot of excess capacity right now?The capacity numbers can be misleading. If you look at annual figures they give about 40% utilization because they calculate the utilization based on year-end capacity. If capacity is being installed throughout the year (which it is), this distorts the utilization figure downwards. Average capacities are a little better but to get a true picture of the capacity you have to look at it quarterly and remember that new lines may take a few months to get up to speed. In reality utilization rates in 2007 and 2008 reached 60-80%, which explains the scramble to install more capacity.

Revenue numbers can also be misleading—

especially for turnkey manufacturers where revenue recognition occurs on commissioning. For example, Applied Materials installed five or six systems in 2008, but commissioning of several of these finished in 2009. This also applies to the equipment business, where strong 2008 orders overlapped into a weak 2009 order book, which then started to recover later in the year. Revenues in 2009 should show a modest rise of 5-7% over 2008.

In 2009 demand dropped somewhat at the beginning of the year but has rebounded dramatically. We can expect dramatic recovery in shipments in Q3. Germany is still the largest market for panels and it is a seasonal market with installers rushing to complete installs

Interview

We recently caught up with John West, managing director of VLSI Research following his presentation given in Hamburg at the IPVEA PV workshop. The presentation, which is posted on weSRCH.com, is a nice snapshot of the current PV tool and equipment industry and reviews the players, the markets, the supply chain and the outlook.

Times have been tough for the solar industry with major sea changes in world economies and government subsidies, coupled with massive capacity expansions coming on line, rising inventories and falling prices. Capital raised in early 2008 is quietly burning, and many companies will need additional capacity to increase revenues and fuel their growth.

The solar PV tool and equipment business is a complex environment with 27 tool segments and over 250 tool suppliers feeding the participants in five solar PV cell technologies in the solar business worldwide.

John West, VLSI

VLSIresearch

Source: VLSI Research IncDoc: 695220-6

Copyright 2009 by VLSI RESEARCH INC. All rights reserved.

IPVEA PV Workshop, Hamburg 2009.

Cell Shipments in MWp – Using average nominal capacity the utilization rate is around 50%

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VLSIresearch




Effective Equipment Utilization Rates – Using quarterly average nominal capacities and adjusting for ramp up times, the effective utilization rates are much higher than those calculated from annual data

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Figure 1. Cell shipments in MWp–Using average nominal capacity the utilization rate is around 50%.

Figure 2. Effective Equipment utilization rates–Using quarterly average nominal capacities and adjusting for ramp up times, the effective utilization rates are much higher than those calculated from annual data.


Interview

before winter and their suppliers rushing panels to them before December.

When we look at cell and module prices we are now seeing negative margins at many suppliers...this should slow equipment purchases but you see a small increase in equipment sales in 2009 accelerating towards 2010?There is continuing investment in equipment because of the pressure on margins! In many cases the only way to return to positive margins is through investment in new equipment. We can see old capacity starting to be retired—for example four lines at Q-Cells—and being kept for peaking demand only.

We see continued and even accelerating pressure on prices due to overcapacity. This is driving down costs towards grid parity, which will help to bring the industry away from its dependence on subsidies. This can only be good for consumers, industry growth, the environment—and equipment manufacturers as new low-cost technologies

are required!

It looks as though the biggest tool value area by far is thin film deposition with 1/3 of the value—do you think this will stay the largest sector?Thin film systems have a high capital intensity—vacuum deposition equipment etc. is not cheap—but potentially are the lowest variable cost panels. When volume is important, that is a smart decision. We have some heavy hitters, such as Applied Materials and Oerlikon, represented in the equipment and turnkey supplier lists. These are companies with diverse activities outside solar—do so you see them benefitting at the expense of solar-only suppliers?These companies bring a global service and support infrastructure that is tough for a specialized regional manufacturer to match. They also have strongly related product lines serving other industries.

What do you think of the recent trend of electronics contract manufacturers (EMS), such as Flextronics, Sanmina-SCI and Jabil, entering the solar market? These companies are experts at squeezing the last drop out of production costs and have operations world-wide...how do you see them participating in the supply chain?They certainly have a very valuable role to play in the commodity polysilicon industry. Thin film manufacturers tend to be more vertically integrated and have niche processes at present that they are keeping in-house.

Despite the adverse winds, you see growth across the supply chain over the next five years, strongest in cell shipments?Yes. We feel that a 33% growth in cell manufacture will spur a solid 11% growth in the US $5 billion equipment market.

Finally, please tell us about VLSI and your new service, the Photovoltaic Cell and Module Manufacturing Equipment Market ReportVLSI Research has been following the semiconductor and related tool market for 30 years and we’ve moved to cover new markets such as flat panel and solar PV as our clients have moved into these new markets. Our on-line database service includes a database of equipment manufacturers, forecasts, vendor share data, news and interpretations of that news, updated on a monthly basis.

Thank you, John. —Alan Rae

You can contact John West at VLSI Research, www.vlsiresearch.com, +44 1234 834666.

27 Tool Segments 5 Cell Technologies 250+ OEM SuppliersAutomation SystemsBelt Diffusion FurnacesBatch Diffusion FurnacesOther Diffusion FurnacesFiring FurnacesOther Thermal Processing ToolsPECVD SystemsPVD SystemsLPCVD SystemsAPCVD SystemsMOCVD SystemsOther Thin Film Deposition SystemsWet Deposition ToolsScreen Printing SystemsOther Deposition ToolsWet Etch & Clean ToolsPlasma Etching SystemsLaser Etch SystemsOther Clean & Etch SystemsStandalone TestersIntegrated Sorters & TestersTabbing & Stringing ToolsOther Assembly SystemsSingle Opening Vacuum LaminatorsMultiple Opening Vacuum LaminatorsOther LaminatorsOther PV Process Tools

Silicon WaferSilicon Thin Film on GlassNon-Silicon Thin Film on GlassCompound SemiconductorOther PV Cell Technologies

3S Swiss Solar SystemsAmtechSystems, Inc.Applied MaterialsBürkleGmbHcentrothermphotovoltaicsAGEvatechCo., Ltd.Gebr. SchmidKomaxManzAutomation AGMeier SolarMirleAutomationNisshinbo Industries Inc.NPC IncorporatedOerlikonSolarRENA SondermaschinenGmbHRoth & Rau AGSchiller Automation GmbHSingulusTechnologies AGUlvac, Inc.…..

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PV Cell and Module Manufacturing Equipment by Tool Type

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IIIV Wafer

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Figure 3. PV cell and module manufacturing equipment by tool type. Figure 4. PV cell and module equipment demand, $bn.


IMEC has demonstrated a fully solution-processed organic solar cell with a spray-coated active layer and a metal top contact spray-coated on top. The resulting cell shows power conversion efficiencies above 3%, a performance comparable to organic solar cells produced by spin coating of the organic layer and vacuum evaporation of the top contact metal. This is an important step towards producing organic solar cells with cheap and large-area processes.

Polymer-based (organic) solar cells hold the promise of low-cost production and a high throughput. However, this can only become true if all the layers of the cells can be deposited by solution-based, in-line compatible methods. IMEC’s research now shows that spray-coating is a suitable

deposition technique, and that it can be used to deposit all layers, including the metal top contact.

Spray-coating is a high-rate, large-area deposition technique that ensures an ideal coating on a variety of surfaces with different morphologies and topographies. It is frequently used for industrial coating and in-line deposition processes. In spray-coating systems, the ink is atomized at the nozzle by pressure or ultrasound and then directed toward the substrate by a gas. An added advantage of spray-coating is that it is efficient: compared to other techniques only a small amount of the solutions are wasted.

IMEC demonstrated that an active layer—a solution of P3HT and PCBM—deposited with spray-coating shows power conversion efficiencies above 3%, a performance which is comparable to that of spin-

coated devices. And for the metal top contact, IMEC spray-coated a solution with silver nanoparticles. The challenges are to do this without dissolving the underlying layer, and without damaging it by the temperature needed to sinter the silver nanoparticles. IMEC demonstrated that spray-coating greatly reduces the damage to underlying layers compared to other techniques. It was also able to sinter the silver nanoparticles at 150˚C, a temperature that is compatible with processing on flexible substrates.

Tom Aernouts, teamleader Organic Photovolatics at IMEC, said, “R&D on organic solar cells has entered the stage where we can consider low-cost high-volume manufacturing, which is essential for the uptake of this technology by the industry. Our results show that IMEC has the expertise and knowhow to play an important role in organic photovoltaics R&D.”

Technological developments

Technological developments

upo scientists increase the efficiency of a type of solar cell by incorporating ionic saltsWithin the Consolider HOPE project (projects funded by the Ministry of Innovation and Science), a group of scientists at Universidad Pablo de Olavide (UPO), headed by Juan Antonio Anta, are working on the optimisation of a type of photovoltaic cell (Grätzel cell) that artificially mimics photosynthesis. Grätzel cells are photovoltaic devices that take advantage of the interaction of a structured

semiconductor less than nanometre in size and an organic dye that acts as a solar collector.

According to Elena Guillén, member of UPO’s Coloides y Celdas Solares Nanoestructuradas (Nanostructured Colloids and Solar Cells) Group, this dye can be either synthetic or natural and can even enable the use of chlorophyll for this type of cell.

Thus, researchers at UPO have begun a study with which they hope to increase the efficiency of these eosin or

mercurochrome -based organic components by incorporating ionic salts, known as green solvents, with a view to preventing evaporation of the liquid compounds and the consequent reduction in efficiency. Previous studies show that ionic salts are less volatile and it is this characteristic that the group headed by Professor Anta seeks to exploit. “Notwithstanding its liquid state, these types of solvents have high viscosity levels and, therefore, during the coming months we will continue our study, working on different alternatives within

IMEC’s spray-coating technique holds promise for cheap, fully solution- processed organic solar cells

(a) Schematic build-up of the organic solar cell, (b) SEM and (c) FIB/TEM cross sections of the polymer solar cell with a spray coated Ag top contact.


ionic liquids, their synthesis, etc.,” says Elena Guillén.

The pros and cons of the new generation Although there are already some third generation cells on the market (for example, for recharging mobile phones), according to the researchers their practical use is anecdotal. However, due to their properties of flexibility and variety of colours and shapes, the future of these cells lies in new market niches such as decoration or use in coloured windows that not only allow light through but use this light to generate electricity. On the other hand, apart from the rapid amortisation of energy production costs -estimated in one year’s use-, there is also the low cost of the materials. “Organic materials are usually cheaper,” affirms the researcher, despite which the search continues for an alternative organic dye to the one currently used, derived from ruthenium.

“The paradox lies in the fact that if one uses these cells because their competitive edge is that they are cheaper and more readily available, and then one uses a dye based on a precious metal, what is the advantage?” points out Elena Guillén.

On the other hand, the researchers are aware that it is a relatively new technology -this type of cell was invented in 1991- that still need to be greatly developed. Furthermore, the maximum efficiency obtained in laboratory is only 11%, which is competitive but it drops when extrapolated to an industrial scale.

The main technological challenge is currently the problem of cell degradation. “If you use an organic dye, it can be degraded by the action of sunlight, with the consequent reduction in useful life compared to silicon cells. On the other hand,” the researcher highlights, “our group is working on one of the key aspect for improving cell stability - elimination of the need to use liquids that can present problems with evaporation, etc. and for which, as already mentioned, our focus is on the use of ionic salts.”

World record: 13.4% conversion efficiency in solar cells on plastic filmA new record efficiency of 13.4% for copper-indium-gallium-diselenide solar cells (CIGS) on a plastic substrate produced on an industrial roll-to-roll system had been recorded by Solarion AG from Leipzig, Germany.

The record cells do not employ anti-reflective coating. The result has been

independently verified by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) in Freiburg, Germany.

“This achievement shows that our proprietary ion beam technology for the production of flexible solar cells not only uses less raw materials and energy, but also reaches high conversion efficiencies,” said Alexander Braun, CTO of Solarion AG. “This result is not only a world record efficiency for flexible CIGS solar cells manufactured on a plastic substrate in an industrial roll-to-roll coating process, but is also the highest efficiency for any thin film solar cell on a flexible polymer substrate from a roll-to-roll process, regardless of the absorber material.”

The patented ion beam process for producing the CIGS absorber developed by Solarion AG allows the reduction of process temperature and thus the use of a flexible polymer substrate. “The combination of a low-cost polymer substrate, the ion beam technology and a roll-to-roll production process allows us to reduce manufacturing costs significantly,” said Karsten Otte, CEO of Solarion AG. The flexibility and high efficiency of these solar cells opens up new large-volume applications. For example, such solar modules can be integrated directly into building systems for roofing and facade solutions. Moreover, modules with flexible CIGS solar cells can also be used for standard photovoltaic applications.

ascent Solar achieves 14% cell efficiency milestone in commercial productionAscent Solar Technologies, Inc., a developer of state of the art flexible thin-film solar modules, met a new manufacturing milestone by achieving 14% cell efficiency for its copper, indium, gallium, selenide (CIGS) on flexible plastic substrate produced at its Fab1 (1.5 MW) commercial production plant.

U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewal Energy Laboratory (NREL), the nation’s primary laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development, measured 14.01% cell efficiency for Ascent Solar CIGS material.

Adding to this news, Ascent Solar announced a peak efficiency of 11.7% for its monolithically integrated CIGS modules manufactured at its Fab1 (1.5 MW) plant in Littleton, CO.

Dr. Farhad Mogahadam, President & CEO for Ascent Solar said, “This is a significant breakthrough in demonstrating our ability to achieve thin film CIGS cells with 14% efficiency from regular

production machines. Ascent Solar’s ability to manufacturer monolithically integrated modules with efficiency as high as 11.7% in regular production serves as a vital element to our low cost per watt manufacturing goal.”

Solarmer energy continues to break world records with 7.6% efficient plastic solar cellSolarmer Energy, Inc., broke the plastic solar cell world record for a second consecutive time. Solarmer announced today their champion plastic solar cell efficiency of 7.6%, certified by the Newport Corporation’s Technology and Applications Center’s Photovoltaic (TAC-PV) Lab. The Newport Corporation is a globally recognized leader in advanced technology products and solutions.

Plastic solar panels, the next generation of solar products, will be flexible, transparent, and able to generate low cost clean energy from the sun. Attractive and colorful, customizable shape and sizes, and better low light performance are just a few in a long list of unique characteristics of plastic solar panels. These solar panels will transform the renewable energy industry, because of their ability to drive cost down to 12-15 cents/kWh and much less than $1/Watt. In the process of completing their pilot manufacturing line, this efficiency milestone increases anticipation for Solarmer’s plastic solar panels, which will be available next year.

“Breaking the 7% efficiency barrier for organic photovoltaics is a huge accomplishment for Solarmer and the organic photovoltaic (OPV) industry,” said Dr. Gang Li, vice president of technology development. “We are thankful for the contributions of our two primary collaborators, Prof. Luping Yu at the University of Chicago and Prof. Yang Yang at UCLA. We believe that our world class team will ensure that we continue along the path to the commercial success of OPVs.”


As the year 2009 draws to a close and in the holiday spirit, I want to celebrate the year in a sports-hearted mood by dedicating this column to a sport stadium, embellish-ing with ebullient photos.

This stadium is the epitome of engineering ingenuity, eco-friendliness, renewal energy and beauty.

However, celebration?—celebrating the economically horrific downturn year?

Yes, there are something to be celebrated. First, the economic recession was officially ended in June, and most countries’ GDP moved upward in the second half of the year, as did the balance sheets of almost all companies across the industry sectors.

In the solar industry, the year has been bitter and sweet, albeit more bitterness from market growth perspective. It is estimated that the global new installed PV power dropped from approximately 5.4 GW in 2008 to 4.6 GW this year, and the new installed PV revenue plummeted from a ballpark of US $30 billion in 2008 to $18 billion this year (It should be noted that Spain alone contributed a significant chuck to this drastic dip due to its 2008 growth of more than 2.6GW of new installed PV power over 2007, which was discussed in my previous columns).

Over the time horizon of a decade from year 2000 to 2009, this year indeed broke the almost perfect exponential growth curve for the PV market.

Nonetheless, this year has some bright spots in the PV solar industry around the world. One example: The world largest solar energy powered sport stadium was completed early this year in Kaohsiung, Taiwan and was actually put in use promptly. (Other examples will be covered in future writings.)

The stadium served as the main stadium

for 2009 World Games during July 16-26 2009. The Games featured sports that are not contested in the Olympic Games.

The building was constructed with spiral steel girders. The saddle-shaped solar cell roof occupies 19-hectare. It can house 55,000 spectators. As exhibited in the inset photos, the solar panels covering the vast external face of the stadium are able to generate most of the power required for its operation. It is more than self-sufficient in electricity needs. During the non-games

Dr. Jennie S. Hwang

The world’s largest solar energy powered sport stadium


H-Technologies group

Saddle-shaped solar-panel roof of 2009 World Games Stadium, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (Courtesy Delta Electronics, Inc.)

Steel girders of 2009 World Games Stadium, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (Courtesy Toyo Ito Architect).

Solar panels of 2009 World Games Stadium, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. (Courtesy Delta Electronics, Inc.)



period, the surplus energy can be saved and sold. Its solar energy system meets 1 MWp (megawatt peak) capacity and can generate 1.1 M kwh of electricity annually.

This mind-boggling solar system was integrated and constructed by Delta Group, Delta Electronics, Inc., including the design and manufacture of solar cells and modules. The light-through 8,844 solar panels were all designed and manufactured in house. The solar panels cover a surface area of 14,155 m2 integrated into the roof construction. The stadium’s solar energy system also uses Delta’s energy inverters converting DC to AC power and feeding electricity into the grid with inverting efficiency of 98%.

This spectacular architecture created by the famed, innovative architect Toyo Ito is artistically and eco-friendlily landscaped with palm trees and thick plants imitating a tropic forest. Its open design and wind-sun-conforming orientation provide a welcoming and comfortable sports ambience. The solar panels allow 30% of total sunlight through, so the audience can enjoy a real-time outdoor climate. Spectators can observe the spiral bracings of the roof through the glass roof (thanks to the light-through solar panel technology offered by Delta group). The stadium is certified by the International Association of Athletics Federations as a first-class sports arena.

After the city was granted the right to host the 2009 World Games by the International World Games Association, construction commenced on July 6, 2006 and was completed in January 2009. It cost about NT $5 billion. Another worth-noting record is that it is reported that despite the challenging technical difficulties encountered by installing spiral steel girders and 8,844 solar panels, no site accidents have occurred.

Environmentally, the 1.14 M kwh of electricity generated by solar PV reduces approximately 660 tons of CO2 emissions annually. It is reported that all raw materials used in the stadium are 100% reusable. The building meets a “Green Building Code.”

The confluence of crucial virtues—entrepreneurship, collaboration and efficiency— culminates in accomplishing this very first solar energy powered stadium in the world. It is a beauty indeed!


Dr. Jennie S. Hwang has extensive experience in global market and

international business in her executive capacities with both corporate America

and entrepreneurial businesses. She is inducted to the WIT International Hall

of Fame, elected to the National Academy of Engineering, and named an R&D-Stars-

to-Watch (Industry Week). Dr. Hwang is a member of the U.S. Commerce

Department’s Export Council, and serves on university, civic and Fortune 500

NYSE company boards. Among others, she has served on National Research

Council’s “Globalization Committee” and “ Forecasting Emerging, Disruptive

Technologies Committee”. Her education includes Ph.D., M.S., M.A., B.S. degrees in engineering and sciences, respectively, and Harvard Business School Executive

Program. An author of 300+ publications, she is also a worldwide speaker on trade,

technology, business, education, and social issues. Tel: (216) 839-1000; E-mail:

[email protected]. www.JennieHwang.com

2009 World Games Stadium, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (Courtesy Delta Electronics, Inc.).

Aerial view of 2009 World Games Stadium, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (Courtesy Toyo Ito Architect).


Technological developmentsNew Products

New productsBTu International introduces the perseas™ platform for cdTe processingBTU International’s Perseas™ product platform is designed specifically for the processing of cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin film photovoltaic cells. Perseas™ is a modular platform featuring configurations with varied throughputs and process capabilities. The platform is scalable from R&D to pilot and to production-sized units. The Perseas™-CA is designed for the chlorine annealing process while the Perseas™-CF is for the contact formation process. In addition, the Perseas™ platform is compatible with both glass and web substrates.

“Based on the tremendous market growth forecasted for this segment and the ambitious plans of our thin film customers, we decided to design and introduce a robust and scalable product platform,” said Jan-Paul van Maaren, Ph.D., BTU vice president, marketing. “We expect the market growth to be driven by both new entrants to the market and the rapid scale up of established producers. The Perseas™ platform is a

solution for customers in both stages in their growth plans.” www.btu.com

Dupont widens its offering of ul-recognized photovoltaic encapsulantsDuPont™ Elvax® EVA resins for photovoltaic (PV) module encapsulation are now joined by two additional PV encapsulants recognized by Underwriters Laboratory (UL): DuPont™ PV5200 Series PVB-based sheets and DuPont™ PV5300 sheets, based on ionomer technology. Newer encapsulants such as DuPont™ PV5300 series ionomer-based sheets are helping manufacturers consider alternative manufacturing systems and technologies, freed from the need for chemical crosslinking of the polymer in order to assure robust sheet properties. Advantages with the ionomer-based sheet include stronger resistance to moisture intrusion at module edges and extra stiffness for lower module deflections when faced with wind loads. The formable thermoplastic sheet is also useful for building-integrated designs where polymer components can

be combined for efficiency or structural integration.

DuPont™ PV5200 Series PVB-based encapsulants, announced earlier this year, are creating new ways to design and assemble thin-film modules, a potential game-changing PV technology that helps put active power generation into multifunctional roofing and fenestration products. photovoltaics.dupont.com

rehm thermal oxidation process safeguards pV metallization yieldsA new thermal oxidation process from Rehm Thermal Systems has eliminated the challenge of residue contamination from photovoltaic metallization. In order to minimise maintenance and provide a cleaner process chamber, Rehm has innovatively implemented a proven method of thermal oxidation to enhance the performance of its RDS Drying Systems. During the 200˚C to 350˚C curing process involved in metallization, significant quantities of vapour and smoke are produced which must be reliably exhausted from the process chamber in order to avoid contamination and yield loss. However, since there is a wide variation in paste compositions associated with solar metallization, it is not always possible to customise a suitably effective filter or condenser to manage the released vapour or smoke. Due to the arrangement of the heater and the granulate pack in Rehm’s RDS drying systems results in a very compact, thermal reactor which requires little additional energy to reduce energy consumption even further. Rehm’s thermal oxidation process involves heating the gas to a temperature greater than 500˚C. The molecules cracked at these high temperatures and combine with atmospheric oxygen, which is present within the system. In order to oxidize hydrocarbons in an energy-efficient manner at low reaction temperatures of nearly 500˚C, catalyzers are installed downstream from the heating chamber. This results in a thermal reactor which is dimensioned for solar dryers such that a gas exchanger of greater than 40-fold assures reliable removal of the vapour or smoke which occurs in the process chamber. Rehm recently detailed its pioneering approach to residue management in a new technical paper entitled ‘Controlling Damaging Contamination in PV

Multiple opening press for photovoltaic module laminationQinhuangdao Orient Science & Technology Co. Ltd. has officially released the TDCZ – S series of high productivity multiple opening vacuum lamination systems for photovoltaic module manufacturing applications. The first model of the series, the TDCZ-S-4, is a two-opening, 2200 x 3600 mm system that has been installed at several large module manufacturing companies throughout Asia. Utilizing a hydraulic conveyor system, operation is simple and very reliable. Systems are CE compliant with technical support worldwide. The TDCZ-S-4 laminator also incorporates Orient’s energy saving technology to reduce operating costs and increase manufacturing efficiency. More than 1,000 Orient laminators have been installed worldwide since 2000. www.chrisopherweb.com


New Products

Metallization’. www.rehm-group.com

applied Materials’ Iec-certified SunFab module technology cuts customers’ cost of manufacturingApplied Materials, Inc. has significantly lowered the cost for customers to manufacture solar photovoltaic (PV) panels on its SunFab™ thin film line using its next-generation module technology. Executing on its aggressive cost-cutting roadmap, Applied has leveraged economies of scale with leading suppliers and has introduced key process efficiencies that reduce the cost of materials by 22%. In addition, SunFab panels using these new materials and processes have received IEC certification for aperture area conversion efficiencies of up to 9.7%, enabling customers to advance panel performance to this level without requiring additional certification. The IEC certification was awarded to both single and tandem junction modules in all panel sizes by TÜV InterCert, demonstrating that, like the original SunFab panels, modules produced with this next-generation technology can meet performance and safety specifications under challenging environmental conditions. www.appliedmaterials.com

Virtual Industries introduces new extended reach tips for handling solar cells and wafersVirtual Industries’ Extended Reach series of substrate handling tips for solar cells, wafers or flat panels. The extended reach tips are available in three sizes to allow reaching up to 200 mm into an area to pick up a substrate. Substrates handled can range from 4” (100 mm) to over 12” (300 mm) in size. The tips can be used with any of Virtual Industries’ wafer wands. These tips handle temperatures up to 212°F (100°C). Part numbers from the smallest to the largest size are VMWT-B-EX200, VMWT-C-EX200 and VMWT-D-EX200. Prices start at $84.10 for single quantities. www.virtual-ii.com

precision process equipment expands equipment offering with excellite 1000 BcpPrecision Process Equipment Inc expands their equipment line intended for solar cell, semi conductor and microelectronic packaging manufacturers. Finding success with the Excellite FSP, designed for wide-web, reel-to-reel (R2R) flexible substrate plating for manufacturing flexible CIS, CIGS and TCO coatings associated with thin film solar cells, Precision Process now offers the Excellite 1000 BCP intended for use in plating on silicon or glass substrates for discrete parts. The Excellite BCP offers a fully automated dry-in dry-out cassette-to-cassette tool set. The Excellite 1000 BCP can be configured for pre plate deposition of seed or barrier layers, plating of a variety of metals and post plate annealing if required. The Excellite 1000 will produce superior yields on thin fragile substrates, in both inline deposition systems as well as other automation set-ups common to Si-Cell or glass photovoltaic production systems with maximum through put and high yields. www.precisionprocess.com

New production technologies for the back contact of solar cellsIn order to achieve a reduction of manufacturing costs and increase the efficiency in parallel, the cell design of solar cells is continuously developed and improved. One approach is the so-called back-contact cell design. With it, the efficiency of solar cells can be significantly improved by a redesign of the front-side contacts that are covering considerable portions of the active area. The basic idea is to shift as much contact area as possible towards the back side of the cell. This is achieved by drilling holes of different size using a laser. Employing the EWT (emitter wrap-through) concept, electrical contacts are being transferred from the front side towards the rear side. One of the obstacles for the industrial use of the EWT-technology so far was the relatively low throughput with high investment costs. To stay abreast of changes, 3D-Micromac AG has further developed and advanced the established microDrill-EWT systems and with immediate effect offers an improved laser and optic concept in their machines. In EWT technology, hole diameters amount to 30 to 80 μm and using a solid-state laser with percus-sion drilling, up to 15,000 holes can be generated per second. In the process, drilled holes are machined free of cracks, at minimum heat affects, and without debris. This dedicated system can achieve a cycle time of only 2.5 seconds per cell.

On the basis of long standing experience in the range of laser micromachining, the development of these highly efficient and stable machine concepts could be established. These concepts distinguish themselves both by comparatively low investment costs and a significantly lower total cost of ownership. www.3d-micromac.com

New locking collar for solar connectors meets Nec requirementsA new accessory for the popular SOLARLOK cable connectors from Tyco Electronics, the new connector latch locking collar can be applied to mated connectors to prevent inadvertent or accidental unmating. The collar locks over the mated connection to prevent access to the release mechanism of the mated connectors. The collar allows tooled extraction, requiring only a small flathead screwdriver to be inserted into a slot in the collar for release. Made of rugged durable plastic (UV rated to F-1), the connector latch locking collars meet NEC 2008 Article 690.33(c) requirements plus the recommendations of the 2008 National Electrical Code, section 609, for positive-locking protection with tooled extraction. The collar also meets UL 1741 photovoltaic requirements as a photovoltaic connector accessory to the SOLARLOK connector product line. www.tycoelectronics.com

pV powered announces powerVault™PV Powered’s PowerVault™ turn-key and fully customizable DC-to-medium voltage platform provides significant cost savings in multi-megawatt solar installations. PowerVault is a fully-engineered and factory assembled inverter power plant with DC inputs on one side and medium voltage outputs on the other. The inverters, switchboard and monitoring system are housed in an enclosure that is listed to UL QRNZ for walk-in electrical equipment. The medium voltage transformer with a cost-saving integrated loop feed switch is mounted on the outdoor portion of the skid. The conduit-ready pier-mount configuration saves installation time and eliminates tens-of-thousands of dollars in engineering design, site preparation and installation costs for commercial and utility customers. www.pvpowered.com

www.globalsolartechnology.com28 – Global Solar Technology – November/December 2009

Interview

Where is Indium Corporation active in the solar industry?We supply both to the front end, for CIGS cell manufacturing, and the back end, silicon and thin-film module assembly.

What are your front end products?We supply sputtering targets and evaporation sources like indium and gallium shot. There are many forms of evaporation sources available in various alloys to fit our customers needs We also supply sputter targets in puck, plate and cylinder format for ITO and CIGS deposition.

What is important to sputter target customers?A homogeneous target material that is properly bonded to the customers’ preferred backing plate or rotary tube. With our materials experience we can produce homogeneous targets in a range of shapes to meet customers’ equipment needs. Our recent acquisition of the RNT NanoFoil® assembly technology allows us to used very localized heating to provide a perfect bond between the backing plate and the target without excessive thermal damage and distortion of the target.

Are these custom or standardized products?With both the pastes and targets, customization is necessary to match the product to the customer’s equipment and process. At Indium we partner with

equipment suppliers and customers through our service centers in Asia, Europe and the USA to ensure the product matches the application. Europe has been a particular focus area for us. How about the back end?We supply silver low-temp metallization pastes for thin film interconnection, solder paste for assembly and solder coated copper ribbon plus flux for tabbing and stringing. We are now on to our second generation pastes, which do not require refrigerated storage—a real advantage for our customers. The solder paste is customized for particular assembly operations in inverters and other system components and the tabbing ribbon is matched to the customers’ automated equipment. We are pioneering low temperature assembly solders in this industry to reduce thermal damage in assembly. This is much easier to manage in the solar industry than other industries and can give real yield improvements to customers.

We hear a lot of comments about flux?Yes there are issues of evaporation, contamination of rollers and other mechanical components as well as incomplete solder joint formation. The correct formulation and application is critical. We work with customers and their equipment suppliers to dial in the correct formulation and process.

As the industry matures, do you see a move towards standardization?

Interview

You may have seen the video showing Indium Corporation’s novel sputtering targets at the Hamburg show. As a follow up to this, we recently talked to Jim Hisert, application engineer at Indium Corporation, to find out more about Indium’s approach to the market.

James Hisert,Indium Corporation


Interview

We are active in the IPC committee “Requirements for Electronic Tabbing Stringing and Busing Materials Used in the Assembly of PV Modules.” A long title-but an important task!

Finally, what about sustainability?We partner with recycling companies to collect unused or scrap material that we process in our refineries in Korea and the USA. Additionally, since we were founded with a relation to indium metal, we have for 75 years worked with mines and refineries worldwide to source material and guide them towards expansions to support our industry. We understand the sustainability of indium and gallium (two very important materials in the CIGS industry) and we have no concerns towards future supply.

Thank you, Jim.

—Alan Rae

Watch Global Solar Technology’s Trevor Galbraith interview Indium’s Bill Jackson at the 24th EU PVSEC: http://blip.tv/file/2720915

china Solar power purchases ThinSiliconChina Solar Power (Holdings) Ltd., purchased ThinSilicon, Inc., a developer of thin film manufacturing process technology based in Mountain View, CA. No financial terms were disclosed. CSP’s initial manufacturing facility, located in the city of Yantai, China, recently commenced commercial operation. The plant, whose initial configuration will produce a-Si solar panels utilizing production equipment supplied by ULVAC, Inc. of Japan, will have an annual capacity of approximately 32 MW once it reaches full production in 2010. The company recently broke ground on its second manufacturing facility, located in Jiangyin, China, and has entered into development and financing agreements with two other Chinese municipalities to build and operate additional production facilities within those cities.

amtech’s solar diffusion system is selected by two prominent solar research institutesAmtech Systems’ subsidiary Tempress Systems, Inc., has shipped one of its diffusion furnace systems to a prominent solar research institute located in Asia. A second diffusion system is scheduled to ship in the March quarter to a leading solar research institute in Australia. These orders were received in fiscal 2009. www.amtechsystems.com

arISe Technologies takes over pV cell factory from Scheuten SolarARISE Technologies Corporation entered into multi-faceted agreements with Scheuten. ARISE has signed a lease for the Scheuten PV cell manufacturing plant located in Gelsenkirchen, Germany and it intends to use the building as a Technology Centre with a pilot production line to commercialize the company’s high-efficiency PV cell technology. Scheuten has an option to sell the building and property to ARISE in 2012 at a fixed price; if Scheuten does not exercise its option, ARISE can extend the lease. Scheuten has signed a non-binding letter of intent whereby Scheuten intends to purchase PV cells from ARISE. ARISE has signed a non-binding letter of intent whereby ARISE intends to purchase OEM modules from Scheuten. ARISE has purchased the assets, including inventory, of the Scheuten PV cell manufacturing plant.

It is the intention that the payment for the assets will be satisfied through pricing reductions on PV cells sold to Scheuten. ARISE will employ all of the 55 people currently employed at the Gelsenkirchen plant under the same terms as their existing employment agreement at the Gelsenkirchen plant, ARISE’s factory in Bischofswerda, Germany, or in the new Technology Centre that ARISE intends to establish. www.scheutensolar.com, www.arisetech.com

Spire to expand uNIcor solar module manufacturing to 75 megawattsSpire Corporation has entered an agreement with UNICOR—Federal Prison Industries, Inc. to expand their current 25 MW module manufacturing capacity by the addition of a 50 MW module manufacturing line to be located in Sheridan, Oregon. UNICOR is a wholly-owned government corporation that is authorized to operate industries, such as solar PV factories, in federal correctional institutions throughout the United States. Spire’s module manufacturing allows inmates to gain substantial “green-collar” knowledge that is highly desired by employers. By expanding to a 75 MW capacity, nearly 500 jobs have been created, ultimately providing approximately 300 inmates with marketable job skills. www.spirecorp.com

ecofin divests stake in Solel to SiemensEcofin Limited is pleased to announce the purchase of Solel Solar Systems Limited (Solel) by Siemens International B.V. for a purchase price of approximately US $418 million. Ecofin, on behalf of its funds, owns a 63% stake in the company. Ecofin acquired its initial stake in Solel in January 2008 and later exercised an option to increase its holding in the company. Solel designs and manufactures solar equipment for solar thermal power plants. Since Ecofin’s acquisition of its stake, Solel has significantly expanded its manufacturing base and facilities, trebled its revenues and grew its employee base from 300 to 500. The transaction remains subject to the approval of relevant authorities and is expected to close by the end of the year.

china’s solar footprint could grow tenfold through policies, low prices, says Greentech MediaDemand for solar panels inside of China could explode over the next three years, presenting an opportunity for investors

Industry News— continued from page 5


Industry News

and select international partners, according to a new report from GTM Research, the market research arm of Greentech Media. China has a cumulative installed base of 140 megawatts of PV. By 2012, the report forecasts growth reaching 1.4 gigawatts to 2.6 gigawatts, driven by new state policies like the Golden Sun program that can cover 50 to 70 percent of the cost of solar systems. During the same period, the full price of a solar system installed will drop from US $2.82 in 2009 to $2.18, lower than in the U.S. or Europe because of lower prices for labor, inverters and other factors. In the West, panels sell for approximately $2 a watt. In China, a panel now sells for $1.57 a watt. By 2020, the cumulative installed PV base could grow to 10 gigawatts. www.gtmresearch.com

Q-cells selects camstar for new Malaysian mega-factory and upgrade of German production linesCamstar Systems, Inc., announced today that Q-Cells SE, the world’s largest solar cell manufacturer, has selected Camstar’s SolarSuite™, configured for the solar industry on the Camstar Enterprise Platform, to drive down cost per watt through improved process quality and cell efficiency. Q-Cells will deploy the solution in two new production lines in Bitterfeld-Thalheim, Germany, and in its new factory in Malaysia, where production will exceed 300MW (peak) by the end of 2010. Q-Cells selected SolarSuite over competing options for its strong “out-of-the-box” functionality that is designed specifically for and widely used by Camstar’s global customers in the Solar and Semiconductor industries. www.q-cells.com, www.camstar.com

hon hai’s Foxsemicon begins shipping solar-energy equipmentThe global recession has forced Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. to look to tapping China’s domestic market, assessing the potential of the solar-cell manufacturing sector. Hon Hai has reportedly begun shipping solar-energy equipment on a small scale through its subsidiary-Foxsemicon Integrated Technology Inc., which has been using its semiconductor equipment manufacturing experience to tap solar-energy equipment manufacturing. At its annual general shareholders meeting, Hon Hai chairman Terry Gou said his company has formed a specialized team to evaluate the feasibility of tapping the nascent solar-energy industry. An industry insider believed Hon Hai’s two subsidiaries—the flat-panel manufacturer Innolux Display Corp. and the LED (light emitting

diode) manufacturer Foxsemicon—will likely engage in solar-energy equipment manufacturing. (Source: CENS)

evergreen Solar opens new european headquarters in BerlinEvergreen Solar, Inc., opened a new European headquarters in Berlin, Germany, further increasing the company’s presence in the German market. Evergreen Solar began its European operations in 2002 and became a fully registered German company in 2004. Since that time European sales have grown nearly 20 times, equivalent to a 180% compound annual growth rate. The new headquarters is located at Wallstraße 65, 10179 Berlin. www.evergreensolar.com

applied Materials opens research and demo facility in Xi’an, chinaApplied Materials, Inc., opened an advanced solar research and demonstration facility in Xi’an, China. Applied Materials’ Solar Technology Center, the largest non-government solar energy research facility in the world, is comprised of laboratory and office buildings covering more than 400,000 square feet and contains an entire Applied SunFab™ thin film manufacturing line and a complete crystalline silicon pilot process. These lines are configured to closely simulate customer fabrication (fab) environments. Applied first broke ground in Xi’an in 2006 and the total investment in the multi-phase project is more than $250 million dollars. www.appliedmaterials.com

GT Solar commissions solar wafer production line in SpainGT Solar International, Inc., received final acceptance for the design, installation and commissioning of one of the most technologically-advanced turnkey wafer fabrication lines in Spain. Created for Leon-based DC Wafers, the state-of-the-art wafer production line (GT-WAFFABTM) includes GT Solar’s GT-DSS450TM ingot growth technology, coupled with advanced wafering systems, and automated in-line inspection tools. GT Solar’s turnkey services process experts worked closely with DC Wafer’s engineers to optimize the wafer line to increase productivity, boost quality and line yields, and lower production costs. The line was designed to produce 30-megawatts (MW) of multi-crystalline solar wafers annually; it will likely exceed that target by up to an additional 5 MW, as the line is already operating at a better than expected polysilicon consumption rate. www.gtsolar.

com, www.dcwafers.com

china’s polysilicon market in solar pV industry—caGr output growing 144% between 2007-09Research and Markets has added the “China’s Polysilicon Market in Solar Photovoltaic Industry” report to their offering. The report exports the reasons for the rapid development of the polysilicon industry, its main problems, the influence of the latest policies on future polysilicon development, how the competitive landscape of different solar cells present, how the interaction between polysilicon and the solar PV industry functions, what opportunities the future polysilicon industry will bring, and the profiles of major polysilicon producers and end users. www.researchandmarkets.com

BioSolar begins limited supply production of commercial grade BioBacksheet™-cThe research and development phase for BioSolar’s proprietary BioBacksheet™-C has been completed. Now qualified for production, the BioBacksheet™-C, designed for traditional silicon (c-Si) photovoltaic solar panels, will be the company’s first product to become available commercially. “Designed specifically for cost-sensitive, economical PV solar cell modules, we expect the BioBacksheet™-C to be instrumental in driving down the cost per watt of solar power,” said Dr. David Lee, president and chief executive officer of BioSolar. www.biosolar.com

SaNyo opens new Monterrey solar module assembly manufacturing plantSANYO Energy, S.A. de C.V., a subsidiary of SANYO Electric Co., Ltd., has officially opened and started production in Monterrey. The plant, located in Nuevo Leon, Mexico, will be assembling SANYO’s patented HIT (Heterjunction with Intrinsic Thin-layer) solar modules. SANYO’s HIT solar cells and modules have the world’s highest solar light to electric energy conversion efficiency per installed square foot. SANYO Energy will be producing at a capacity of 50-Megawatts annually, with the assembled panels to be used in installations in North America, including the United States. us.sanyo.com

3S Industries Group opens sales and service company in SpainThe 3S Industries solar group has established a subsidiary in Barcelona,


Industry News

Spain. The new sales and service company enables customers in southern Europe, Africa and Latin America to benefit with immediate effect from simplified advisory and service processes. Contact 3S Industries SD S.L. in Spain: Claudio Gisep General Manager c/ Alaba, 61 – Planta 6 08005 Barcelona – Spain fon +34 (0)931 131 132 fax +34 (0)933 208 626 [email protected]. www.3-s.ch

DeK Solar adds new project manager to the teamFollowing the recent launch of the PV3000 solar metallization line, DEK Solar has extended its team even further with the addition of new solar project manager, George Foot, will assume a customer-focused role, concentrating on developing the company’s award-winning commitment to service excellence. George graduated from Bath University with a degree in Electrical Engineering before joining DEK two years ago as a management trainee. www.deksolar.com

eyelit’s MeS software suite selected by M/a-coM Technology SolutionsIn order to modernize its manufacturing software infrastructure and significantly lower the total cost of ownership and resource dependencies of its older system, M/A-COM Technology Solutions replaced its legacy manufacturing operations software suite at two of its wafer fabs, located in Lowell, Massachusetts, and Torrance, California, with Eyelit Inc’s MES software suite. The move enables M/A-COM Tech to standardize to one manufacturing software provider, simplifying its software architecture while gaining capability and flexibility. It also provides a platform to easily add equipment automation and integrate quality management tasks, such as OCAP, QAR, and MRB. With Eyelit’s system, M/A-COM Tech was able to eliminate 12 custom software programs. www.eyelit.com, www.macom.com

3S Swiss Solar Systems and cea liten develop the new generation of photovoltaic modules3S, a manufacturer of production equipment for solar manufacturting, and CEA Liten (Laboratory of Innovation for New Energy Technologies), a French technological research organization, have signed a three-year agreement to collaborate on the development of photovoltaic modules based on silicon-based heterojunction solar cells and of associated tools to produce these

type of modules. The objective is to speed up development of innovative applications based on the highly-efficient heterojunction solar cells. The technical challenges that need to be tackled are related to dedicated processes for the interconnection and encapsulation of these heterojunction cells into solar modules, as well as to subsequent testing of these modules. Under the terms of the joint development agreement, 3S will deliver expertise and equipment necessary for the interconnection and encapsulation of heterojunction cells. www.3-s.ch, www.cea.fr, www.liten.cea.fr, www.ines-solaire.fr

eMcore corporation awarded solar panel manufacturing contract from Dutch SpaceEMCORE Corporation has been awarded a contract by Dutch Space of Leiden, The Netherlands, to manufacture, test, and deliver the solar panels to power the Cygnus™ spacecraft being developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation for NASA’s Commercial Resupply Service (CRS) project. With all options exercised, the total value of the contract would be in excess of US $15 million. Under the CRS project, Orbital will carry out eight pressurized space cargo missions beginning in early 2011 and running through 2015. An initial demonstration flight will be carried out as part of NASA’s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) project. The solar panels to be delivered to Dutch Space will use EMCORE’s ZTJ solar cells. With a sunlight-to-electricity conversion efficiency of 30%, the ZTJ solar cell is the highest performance space qualified multi-junction solar cell available in the world today. Production of the solar panels will take place at EMCORE’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. www.emcore.com

equity Solar signs commercial validation agreement with Fraunhofer uSa’s cSeEquity Solar, Inc., entered into a validation agreement with Fraunhofer USA’s Center for Sustainable Energy Systems (CSE) under the terms of which Fraunhofer will provide comprehensive experimental validation of a cutting-edge, patented solar technology that Equity Solar has licensed from Special Materials Research and Technology, Inc. (SPECMAT). SPECMAT’s CEO Dr. Maria Faur will support Fraunhofer in this process. www.ustrustcorp.com

Dow and caltech announce next generation photovoltaics research initiativeThe Dow Chemical Company and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) recently signed a multi-year research collaboration that is strategic to both organizations’ interests in solar energy. The arrangement is aimed at aligning Dow’s capabilities in CIGS-based materials with Caltech’s research in next generation photovoltaics. Together, they expect to develop new, ultra low cost, high efficiency photovoltaic materials. The research, which falls under a four-year agreement, will initially focus on direct band gap materials that incorporate elements that are less expensive and more commonly available than those used in today’s thin film PV semiconductors. www.dow.com

Trina Solar announces extension of long-term supply agreement with Gcl-polyTrina Solar Limited extended its eight year long-term supply agreement with Jiangsu Zhongneng Polysilicon Technology Development Co. Ltd, a subsidiary of GCL-Poly Energy Holdings Limited (GCL-Poly) by another five years. Initial delivery of polysilicon to Trina Solar started in April 2008. Under the adjusted terms of this agreement, the total consideration will remain unchanged from the combined total of the original and supplemental agreements signed in 2008, whereas additional polysilicon and wafer deliveries will be provided starting in 2016 for a five-year period at pre-determined shipment volumes and prices. The agreement also contains a price adjustment clause that offers a market-linked price formula. GCL-Poly will supply the Company with high-quality polysilicon and wafers sufficient to produce approximately 8,500 MW of solar modules over 13 years. www.trinasolar.com, www.gcl-poly.com.hk

research and Markets adds photovoltaic Technologies equipment and Materials 2009 reportResearch and Markets announced the addition of the “Photovoltaic Technologies Equipment and Materials 2009” report to their offering. According to the report from Yole Développement, until the end of 2009 and during 2010, because of strong overcapacities, total revenue is forecast to decrease by 45% compared to 2008 to 1.5 Billion euro. Market demand is forecast to come back after 2010 and will progressively


Industry News

impact the production sites by increasing the fab utilization rates. Investments in fab extensions and related equipment are expected to follow in 2011 although they will arrive with a slight time lag behind the demand increase. www.researchandmarkets.com

Mitsubishi electric to enter North american pV inverter market for large-scale solar power systemsMitsubishi Electric Corporation is introducing two photovoltaic (PV) inverters to the North American market, with the 100kW model scheduled for launch in October 2010 and the 250kW model scheduled in April 2011. This will make the company the first Japanese manufacturer to enter the North American, large-scale PV inverter market. Mitsubishi Electric also plans to market these inverters in Japan. global.mitsubishielectric.com

Solar success for control TechniquesControl Techniques have secured an order for photovoltaic inverters for a 6 MWp solar plant under development by China Solar GmbH. The versatility of the SPV inverter platform, international presence of Control Techniques and the bankability of their parent company Emerson readily led to their decision. Mass production of the core Unidrive SP inverter allows Control Techniques to readily deliver four inverters rated at 1410 kWp in 10 weeks. www.controltechniques.com

Despatch Industries sells first ultraFlex firing furnace to SerISSERIS (Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore) will be the first

installation of Despatch Industries’ new fast firing furnace, the UltraFlex with Microzone Technology. The UltraFlex is a state-of-the-art dryer and firing furnace designed to provide next generation capabilities in performance, profile flexibility and reduced cost of ownership. SERIS has purchased the unit for use in their R&D manufacturing line. Despatch developed new, custom lamps for the UltraFlex that operate at optimal levels for extended life and enable maximum absorption of energy into each cell. www.seris.sg, www.despatch.com

energy conversion Devices announces 4.8-megawatt solar project in SpainEnergy Conversion Devices, Inc. (ECD), has been selected by Recurrent Energy to deliver 4.8MWp of solar generating systems for eight separate building rooftops at ProLogis Park Sant Boi in Barcelona and ProLogis Park Alcala in Madrid, Spain. ECD will be supplying its UNI-SOLAR photovoltaic (PV) laminates and providing development resources through its Solar Integrated subsidiary. www.energyconversiondevices.com

MecaSolar prize winners at the Solar awards 2009The solar trackers MS Tracker 10, developed and manufactured by the Spanish company MECASOLAR, received the award for best PV solar application of the year during the Solar Awards 2009, the international awards granted to solar energy companies. The awards are convened by the publication PV Solar, which acknowledges the commitment and investment by

joint World Conference of:


Industry News

MECASOLAR in incorporating new technological developments into their 1 and 2-axis solar trackers. Other companies who received awards included Solar Solutions, Newport, Dek Solar, Siemens, Oerlikon Solar, J.T. Baker, Advanced Energy, Pasan, Fraunhofer, Spire Solar, ibvgot, First Solar and LDK. www.mecasolar.com

DeK celebrates prestigious Solar Industry award at eu pVSec 2009The team at DEK Solar is currently celebrating an award win, having topped the hotly-contested PV Process Equipment category at the Solar Industry Awards, presented at EU PVSEC 2009 I Hamburg in November. Voted for by members of the public rather than a closed panel, the PV Process Equipment category attracted the highest number of votes, which eventually cast the PVP1200 as a best-in-class solar technology. Delivering the high yields and throughput rates required by the solar processing sector, the PVP1200 has driven unprecedented high accuracy metallization of crystalline silicon solar cells. Generating substantial interest from high-profile system integrators and turnkey providers, the PV1200 and PV3000 metallization lines look set to continue this success rate through 2010 and beyond. www.deksolar.com

Veeco’s Turbodisc MocVD system qualified for production at aZur for cpV solar cellVeeco Instruments’ TurboDisc® Arsenic Phosphide (As/P) metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) system has been qualified for production at AZUR SPACE Solar Power GmbH of Heilbronn, Germany. The system is the first of several Veeco MOCVD systems to be installed at Azur and will be used to make concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) solar cells for terrestrial applications. Veeco’s As/P MOCVD Systems feature proprietary in-situ metrology, RealTemp® 200, enabling superior material quality and process efficiency from direct real-time wafer temperature control, fast gas switching for a strict control of interface abruptness, and vacuum loadlock automation for highest productivity. www.azurspace.com, www.veeco.com

oTB Solar and arISe Technologies announce significant progress in technical co-operationOTB Solar and ARISE Technologies Corporation announced that their cooperation has resulted in significant

progress in the development and deployment of OTB Solar’s Single Pass Selective Emitter Process, in combination with a conventional P-doper diffusion furnace, to produce high efficiency silicon based photovoltaic cells. The Single Pass Process enables the deposition of the area emitter and selective emitter dopants in a single pass process sequence, thus reducing and eliminating the need for additional costly emitter forming equipment, processes and materials. The emitter forming process under development at OTB Solar’s Eindhoven Technology Center and ARISE’s Bischofswerda PV Cell Production Fab utilizes OTB Solar’s ELEMENTS Ink Jet Printing Deposition Platform. This industrial scale product can be easily adjusted towards the different throughput requirements of cell makers. www.otb-solar.com, www.arisetech.com

Mexico to join IreNaFelipe de Jesús Calderón Hinojosa, president of Mexico announced at the Global Renewable Energy Forum and in the presence of Hélène Pelosse, director-general of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), that Mexico will sign the statute of IRENA: “IRENA can now count on Mexico,” he said. Mexico will be the 138th country to join IRENA. Around 20 percent of Latin America’s total energy supply comes from renewable sources, mainly from sugarcane waste, biomass and geothermal energy. 23 percent of Mexico’s total energy supply is renewable with 19 percent coming from large hydro. The country is aiming at a 26 percent target in 2012, mainly by scaling up the production of wind power. IRENA’s main objective is to actively promote the rapid transition towards the widespread and sustainable use of renewable energy on a global scale.

National poll shows more than 9 out of 10 americans want solar nowA vast majority of Americans, across all political parties, overwhelmingly support development and funding of solar energy, and their support for solar has remained consistent over the last year. These and other findings were reported today in the 2009 SCHOTT Solar Barometer™, a nationally representative survey conducted by independent polling firm Kelton Research. The survey found that 92 percent of Americans think it is important for the U.S. to develop and use solar energy. This strong support for solar remains unchanged since Americans were asked the same questions in the June 2008

SCHOTT Solar Barometer (94%). This support for solar power is consistent across political party affiliation with 89 percent of Republicans, 94 percent of Democrats and 93 percent of Independents agreeing that it is important for the U.S. to develop and use solar power. Furthermore, close to eight in 10 (77%) Americans feel that the development of solar power, and other renewable energy sources, should be a major priority of the federal government, including the financial support needed. This sentiment also remains the same since June 2008 (77%). The poll also showed that if they had to choose one energy source to financially support if they were President, 43 percent of Americans would opt for solar over other sources such as wind (17%), natural gas (12%) and nuclear (10%). www.us.schott.com

Dow corning wins Solar award for leadership in photovoltaic materialsDow Corning Corp. was named winner of the 2009 SOLAR Industry Award in the Photovoltaic Material category for its new Dow Corning® PV-6100 encapsulant series and manufacturing process, which have demonstrated cost savings and superior protection for solar modules. The SOLAR Industry Awards, presented by Solar PV Management magazine, were created to acknowledge companies across the photovoltaic value chain that have pioneered new or innovative products, systems and manufacturing processes that help promote grid parity. Industry professionals selected Dow Corning to win the award from a group of seven photovoltaic material manufacturers. The awards were presented by David Ridsdale, the magazine’s editor-in-chief, at the 24th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference in Hamburg, Germany. www.dowcorning.com

Western chinese province to invest uS $2.2 billion in solar powerQinghai province in West China is planning to invest a total of 15.5 billion yuan (US $2,270 billion) in the solar power industry by 2010 to build an integrated PV industry chain, according to the Plan of Development and Popularization of Solar Power Industry of Qinghai Province, which has been approved by the Qinghai provincial government. The plan also proposed to promote solar power industry to be the fifth pillar industry for Qinghai by 2015 after power, oil and gas, salt lake chemicals and non-ferrous industries. Source: Business in Asia Today.


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Events Calendar16-20 February 2010Solar Energy 2010 Berlin, Germany www.messen-profair.de

3-5 March 2010PV Expo 2010Tokyo, Japanwww.pvexpo.jp

3-5 March 201025th Photovoltaic Symposium Bad Staffelstein, Germany www.otti.de

16-18 March 2010Semicon China 2010 Shanghai, China www.semi.org

30 March-1 April 20102010 5th AsiaSolar PV Industry Exhibition & Forum Shanghai, China www.asiasolarexpo.com

27 April 2010PHOTON’s 8th Solar Silicon Confer-ence Stuttgart, Germany www.photon-expo.com

17-22 May 2010 Solar 2010 Phoenix, United States www.ases.org

24-26 May 2010PV America Tampa, United States events.jspargo.com

9-11 June 2010Intersolar Munich, Germany www.intersolar.de

30 June-2 July 2010PV Japan 2010 Yokohama, Japan www.semi.org/PVJAPAN-EN/

13-15 July 2010Intersolar North America San Francisco, California, USAwww.intersolar.us

2-5 September 2010Soltec Hameln, Germany www.rainer-timpe.de

12-14 October 2010Solar Power 2010 Los Angeles, California, USA www.solarelectricpower.org

First Solar Manufacturing, Frankfurt, Germany (top)—featured in Global Solar Technology issue 2.2, Mar/Apr 2009.

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First Solar Manufacturing, Frankfurt, Germany (top)—featured in Global Solar Technology issue 2.2, Mar/Apr 2009.

Volume 1 Number 2 November/December 2008

Paul Davis Interview Inside

NEW PRODUCTS

INDUSTRY NEWS

INTERNATIONAL DIARY

MATERIALS AND THE GROWTH OF PV TECHNOLOGY

COMBATING THE IMPACT OF CONTAMINATION IN SOLAR CELL PRODUCTION

TRANSFER PRINTING: AN EMERGING TECHNOLOGY FOR MASSIVELY PARALLEL ASSEMBLY OF MICRODEVICES

Global Solar Technology Volume 1 Num

ber 2Nov/Dec 2008


News for Solar Manufacturing Industry


Volume 2 Number 3 May/June 2009

NEW PRODUCTS

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INTERNATIONAL DIARY

Steamer vS. torch in Pv manufacturing—a coSt of ownerShiP comPariSon

PerSPectiveS on SemiconDuctor ecoSYStem—the SoLar route

comBing in the energY



Volume 2 Number 4 July/August 2009

NEW PRODUCTS

INDUSTRY NEWS

INTERNATIONAL DIARY

The imporTance of cpk

Debugging anD verifying microinverTers for phoTovolTaic insTallaTions

lasers, for more efficienT solar cells


Dr. Madhusudan V. Atre Interview Inside

Volume 2 Number 1 Jan/Feb 2009

Bjorn Dahle Interview Inside

NEW PRODUCTS

INDUSTRY NEWS

INTERNATIONAL DIARY

FLEXIBLE SILVER PASTE ENABLES THIN-FILM PHOTOVOLTAIC FLEX SOLAR CELLS

CONVERTING CONSIDERATIONS FOR FLEXIBLE MATERIALS

ULTRASONIC ATOMIZATION FOR UNIFORM DISPENSING AND COATING OF

NANOPARTICLES

SOLAR: IT’S ABOUT TIME


ber 1Jan/Feb 2009



Volume 2 Number 1 Jan/Feb 2009

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Volume 2 Number 2 March/April 2009

Rajinder KumarInterview Inside

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SOLAR INTEGRATION TAKES A PAGE FROM THE SEMI WAFER CSP PLAYBOOK

LASER SCRIBING TOOLS EDGE IN FRONT

CONFORMAL COATING IMPROVES THE RELIABILITY AND LIFE OF SOLAR INVERTERS


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