Singulus delivers first coating machine for silicon solar cells

KAHL AM MAIN, GERMANY: Singulus Technologies recently delivered the first inline coating machine for anti-reflective coating of silicon solar cells with the product name SINGULAR to a European manufacturer of silicon solar cells.

In 2008, SINGULUS developed a trend-setting concept for a coating machine for silicon solar cells with the product name SINGULAR. The machine integration know how, which SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES has proven in the automation of CD, DVD and Blu-ray Disc production machines, was an optimum starting point for the development of the new SINGULAR plant.

With the SINGULAR coating machine the production of the anti-reflective layer on solar wafers is automated. With a particularly high quality of the anti-reflective layer measuring nanometers only, the light transmission and passivation properties are improved and therefore the energy efficiency of the produced cells enhanced.

The AR-coating with the SINGULAR machine is an important component in the production process of solar cells and ties directly to the value-added chain of the wet-chemical cleaning with LINEA machines. LINEA is STANGL’s new inline machine for wet-chemical cleaning and etching of crystalline solar wafers with horizontal product transport.

SINGULUS developed a proprietary, fully-automated wafer handling system for the integration and connection of the wet-chemical cleaning and etching steps. The wafer handling system is built in modules and automates the transport of the silicon wafer, e.g. from the cleaning process in a LINEA machine to the AR-coating in the SINGULAR machine.

SINGULUS, together with STANGL, will systematically expand the Solar activities. STANGL is one of the well-known providers of wet-chemical machines for both the crystalline silicon solar technology as well as for the thin-film solar technology. Combined with STANGL’s machines SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES offers the key-technology for a crystalline silicon solar cell production line with wet-chemical, vacuum coating and wafer handling technology.

The goal is to strengthen the position for production equipment for solar cells over the next few years.