Beleaguered PV equipment supplier, centrotherm photovoltaics, has given a cryptic account of deterioration in revenue expectations over the next two years, having recently reviewed its order backlog.
At Solar Power International 2013, 3M Renewable Energy is debuting its latest backside busbar tape, ‘4706’ which allows manufacturers to eliminate silver-based backside busbars, enabling cost savings and protecting against the volatility of silver prices.
AVACO, a specialist manufacturer of sputtering (PVD) vacuum deposition equipment and atomic layer deposition (ALD) equipment, has announced the development of a new concept buffer layer deposition for photovoltaic cells.
After an extensive evaluation period, Hanwha Q CELLS has qualified for production purposes the use of ACT Aurora Control Technologies inline Decima CD metrology tool.
Professor Stuart Wenham of the University of New South Wales (UNSW) is leading a new PV cell processing initiative with many of the largest Asia-based cell manufacturers in a programme that is expected to improve silicon quality and cell performance.
Market research firm IHS has attempted to counter recent reports from rival firm, NPD Solarbuzz in the next direction PV manufacturers will take, which could have a significant impact on equipment and materials suppliers to the sector.
Despite the continued constraints on capital expenditure and R&D investments, ROFIN-BAASEL Lasertech said it had seen an uptick in laser system orders, notably due to solar cell manufacturers focusing in on PERC (Passivated Emitter Rear Cell) and selective emitter processes for improvements in conversion efficiencies.
RENA has said that its inline passivated emitter and rear cell (PERC) processing equipment ‘InPERC’ has achieved solar cell efficiencies at a customer site in China of 18%, without the use of selective emitter cell design.
