Owen Design intros c-Si inspection automation platform

FREMONT, USA: Owens Design Inc., a leading equipment design and build service provider to the solar, semiconductor, and data storage capital equipment markets, has introduced an c-Si Inspection Automation Platform optimized for use with production-volume, high-speed photovoltaic (PV) wafer inspection applications.

The Owens c-Si Inspection Automation Platform provides high speed, high reliability wafer handling in customizable configurations to meet advanced factory automation requirements. Input load modules can be configured for either cassette or coin stack input while the output sorter module can be expanded from 6 to 18 output bins.

Available for either 125mm x 125mm (5 inch) or 156mm x 156 mm (6 inch) PV wafers, Owens c-Si automation platform delivers an industry-leading throughput of 3600 wafers per hour, coupled with a low breakage rate of less than 0.2 percent. Designed to be customizable to the specific requirements of any PV inspection tool, the module is ideal for volume-production applications.

"We developed the c-Si automation platform to enable our OEM solar customers to rapidly introduce their wafer inspection technology into high volume solar fabs," said John Apgar, Owens Design's president. "The inspection of PV wafers is an important step in maximizing yield for outgoing and incoming quality assurance. This automation platform allows our customers to focus on their inspection technology while depending on us to provide high wafer throughput at a very low breakage rate; both of which are of critical importance to the solar fab."

Owens Design offers capital equipment manufacturers a proven methodology to reduce tool development costs, minimize technical risk and speed their time to market. By working closely with an established design and build services company, such as Owens Design, a capital equipment company can focus its internal efforts on its core technology. In turn, Owens Design can focus on integrating this core technology into a system level platform that has been optimized to meet the equipment manufacturer's performance specifications.