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Manz showcased its new equipment for wet-chemical processing of crystalline silicon solar cells at SNEC 2012 in Shanghai this May. The IPSG CEI 4800 is designed for chemical edge isolation (CEI) and phosphor silicate glass (PSG) post process removal. The tool is capable of handing 4800 wafers per hour and sold as a bundle with the Manz SpeedPicker for loading and unloading.
BT Imaging has launched the next-generation iLS-W2 for on-the-fly photoluminescence (PL) inspection of wafer quality; the all-new iS-G1 for inline cast mono grain inspection; a new automation unit, the iQ, that houses the iLS-W2 and/or iS-G1 so that existing production lines can be upgraded; and, the QS-W2, a fully integrated inspection tool that can automatically sort wafers. With this suite of tools, wafer makers and fully integrated PV manufacturers can inspect every wafer in production and understand its electrical performance before they make it into a cell, thereby commanding premium pricing for wafers and cells.
Konica Minolta Sensing Americas has introduced the AK-300 PV Reference Cell, which is claimed to be the world’s first for dye-sensitized solar cells. The AK-300 was developed in conjunction with the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) and utilized Konica Minolta Sensing’s advanced optical filter technology. The reference cell has been designed using an optical filter mounted on a stable crystalline silicon solar cell rather than using traditional dye materials.
Teamtechnik is to debut its new stringer system at SNEC PV 2012. The ‘STRINGER TT1200 HS’ is claimed to solder crystalline solar cell strings in a 2.5 second cycle on just one track. Compared to its previous model throughput, it has been boosted by 200 cycles and is claimed to currently be the fastest single-track stringer system on the market.
Eyelit has made available its ‘Intelligence Mobile Web Portal,’ which provides operational information in real-time through tablet devices and smart phones using iPhone, Android, or BlackBerry technologies, enabling ‘anywhere access’ to key manufacturing and quality data from the manufacturing floor.
Schueco has launched an up-rated version of its ProSol TF module, claiming a 30% increase in electrical output over its standard offering. The new thin-film module, ProSol TF+, is a tandem junction module capable of being customized for a range of BIPV applications.
AlsoEnergy has developed several new reporting and collaboration enhancements to its cloud-based ‘PowerTrack’ Energy Management Services software. The newest features allow developers and investors in solar energy systems to create performance models and compare operation between sites and models to quickly detect underperforming components and generate better system returns.
Designed for diamond wire cut and slurry cut monocrystalline, quasimono and multicrystalline wafers, SCHMID’s ‘Metrology Sorter’ with ‘Analyzer Software’ option takes final inspection into the realm of critical process inspection. SCHMID’s analyzer software compiles the measurement data of the finished wafers in a three dimensional brick, which establishes the basic information for the specific intervention in the upstream production steps.
DuPont Microcircuit Materials (MCM) has introduced ‘DuPont Solamet PV416’ photovoltaic metallization paste used to raise the efficiency of thin film photovoltaic cells. The front-side silver paste material has the capability to be processed at temperatures below 140°C, and is designed to provide improved contact resistance, conductivity, adhesion and fine line resolution when printed on Transparent Conductive Oxides (TCOs). The new paste has been claimed to have boosted CIGS thin-film manufacturer, Midsummer AB’s cell efficiencies by as much as 0.5%.
centrotherm photovoltaics is offering an upgrade package for its centaurus technology, which combines a selective emitter with a dielectric passivated backside. The technology implementation is said to already be combined with fine line printing, reducing paste consumption of the front side silver paste by more than 20%. The achieved conversion efficiencies on 156x156mm² monocrystalline (cz) wafers have already reached the 20% level. Currently, centrotherm said it has more than 50MW of centaurus technology being ramped into volume production.
