Turn-key Production System for Solar Cells

SOLARE Turn-key Production System for Solar Cells

02 Innovations for New Technologies provides technology solutions for both crystalline and thin-film highperformance solar cell platforms. Our production equipment improves efficiencies and reduces manufacturing costs. is an established machine supplier with customers producing BSF, PERC, Heterojunction and CIGS/CdTe solar products. expertise includes vacuum thin-film coating (PECVD, sputtering, evaporation), surface engineering, wet-chemical processes and thermal processing. cooperates with cell manufacturers worldwide and develops processes, which improve the efficiency of solar cells and at the same time reduce production costs. Evolutionary improvement in cell concepts like PERC (PERL/PERT), bifacial PV systems, n-type material, IBC cell or heterojunction cells will drive the future of crystalline solar cells. SOLARE Turn-key Production System for 100 MW Multi- and Mono-Cell Production cooperates with cell manufacturers worldwide and develops processes which improve the efficiency of solar cells and at the same time reduce production costs. Evolutionary improvements in cell concepts like BSF, PERC (PERL/PERT) and also transitions to n-type material, heterojunction or IBC cells will drive the future of crystalline solar cells. proves the efficiency of the competencies centralized in the company for the delivery of all essential systems up to the complete manufacturing line. offers all the services necessary to build a turn-key solar cell production line. This service includes the planning and technical design of the production building as well as all supplies and additional equipment. Depending on the planned manufacturing capacity, the technical plans including the investment needs are created. SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES offers not only the cell production line but also the upstream ingot wafer production and the solar module line with the complete accessories.

03 Turn-Key Cell & Module Production Optimized building including facilities and utilities Complete ingot and wafer line Cell-line equipment and services On-site project engineering/management for complete equipment Ramp-up and process commissioning Efficiency guaranteed Module line for standard or building integrated modules Together with cell-line planning, installation and commissioning of complete solar plants possible 1/2/3 year(s) after FAT production support for all equipment Bifacial Solar Cells* based on PERC Technology SILEX II Modular Batch System for Wet-chemical Treatment of Standard and High-efficiency Solar Cells Bifacial solar cells are light-sensitive on both sides. The incidence of diffuse light on the back of the module is optimized by a highly reflective background surface that should be in sufficient distance. Bifacial solar cells based on PERC technology enable higher yield with a suitable alignment than conventional cells. A standard rear passivated solar cell on p-type mc Material (AlO x + SiN y ) is used. Depending on mounting condition and albedo illumination of rear side (typically 20 % 30 %), the module has a power equivalent of 330 W 350 W. offers proven production equipment for the manufacturing of bifacial solar cells based on PERC technology. LINEX Inline Wet Process Equipment for Cleaning, Texturing and PSG Removal Advantages: No additional equipment needed (no Boron diffusion) Use of Al paste on rear side instead of Ag paste Also applicable for LID-free n-type material (Boron diffusion required) Module power front side Pmax = 300 W Module power rear side Pmax = 160 W * In Cooperation with Solsol Solar Solutions SINGULAR ICP-PECVD R & D System

04 SOLARE Turn-key Production System for 100 MW Mono-Cell Production 2 SOLARE Production System 01 Wafer Stack Splitting, Loading/ Inspection Silicon solar cells are produced from raw wafers. After unloading from transport boxes, these wafers are tested to ensure that they have the right dimensions and weight and to check for any damage/cracks to the edges and surfaces. Good wafers are loaded into the system. 02 Saw Damage Etch (SDE) and Texturing Batch-type wet benches (SILEX II) are one choice for cleaning and either alkaline texturing of mono-crystalline or acidic texturing of multi-crystalline wafers. Another option for higher capacities are inline wet chemical processing systems LINEX. In this process step any residue and saw damage is removed from the raw wafers and a light trapping structure (texture) is applied by wet chemical process. The etching and rinsing is done automatically in separate baths in an automized sequence. 03 Junction Formation Today s standard raw material is positively doped silicon (p-type). To generate the p-n junction, the wafers are doped with phosphorus. For this process, the substrates are loaded into silicon carbide/quartz process boats/cassettes and are inserted into a tube furnace. Inside the furnace the wafers are exposed to a phosphorus containing as (POCl 3 ). At high temperatures of about 900 C phosphorus atoms diffuse into the wafers. As a result a negatively doped surface layer is created. 04 Phosphorus Silicate Glass Removal/ Edge Isolation For this process step, SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES offers the SILEX II batch and LINEX inline wet processing systems. The phosphorus silicate glass produced as a by-product of the diffusion process is removed in an acid bath. Additionally edge isolation can be realized with the LINEX inline system (PSG-EE). 05 ICP-PECVD Platform for Passivation and Anti-reflection Coatings The system provides an automation module and a coating module. The high flexibility guarantees a fast and easy transfer of development concepts to industrial production. The innovative tool is based on static inline coating, which combines the advantages of inline substrate transport and static processing. It allows the coating of complex layers, such as layer stacks of different materials e. g. AlO x /SiN y. The key feature of the tool is the ICP-PECVD technology. The inductively coupled plasma (ICP) excitation allows ideal control of film properties for various materials such as SiN x, AlO x and SiO x at high deposition rates. 06/07 Printing/Firing To extract the electrical power from the solar cell a silver paste contact grid (busbars and fingers) is applied two times (double print) or separately (dual print) to the front surface of cell by a screen printing process. This creates the characteristic grid pattern on the front of the cell. The back of the cell also receives two silver paste contact strips plus an aluminum layer known as the back surface field. This acts on the electrons as a kind of a mirror. The contacts are burnt into the cell in a hot furnace with around 900 C. The high temperature causes the silver paste to penetrate into the silicon, thus forming a reliable electrical contact. 1 1 08 Testing/Sorting Tested and classified PV cells need to be sorted and placed safely into storage or transportation boxes. For this purpose the sorter takes over the cells together with their identifier from the upstream testing machine. The cells are picked up by a vacuum suction cup and moved to the respective bins which are predefined by the testing and classification unit. Standard foam boxes are used for taking up the cells. The basic machine allows sorting into 16 classes. Optionally this may be extended to 32 or 48 classes.

05 5 6 7 8 4 3 SOLARE Turn-key Production System for 100 MW Multi-Cell Production 4 5 6 7 8 3 2...offers the Key Production Steps for a reliable Cell Manufacturing Wafer Stack Splitting Automation Saw Damage Removal/Texture Wet-chemical Junction Formation Diffusion Furnace Wafer Stack Splitting Automation Saw Damage Removal/Texture Wet-chemical Junction Formation Diffusion Furnace Wafer Inspection Metrology Wafer Inspection Metrology PSG EE and Rear Polish Wet-chemical PSG EE Wet-chemical AI-BSF Testing/Sorting Metrology Automation PERC Rear Passivation PECVD Testing/Sorting Metrology Automation ARC PECVD Metallization*/Firing Screen Print Firing Furnace ARC PECVD Metallization/Firing Screen Print Firing Furnace Contact Opening Laser Ablation * Front and rear grid in case of bifacial cell-a

Utilities Power Supply Emergency Power Supply Air Conditioning Cooling Water Refrigeration Capacity Vacuum Compressed Air Technical Gases Chemicals/ Process Media Ultra Pure Soft Water INGOT WAFER CELL LINE MODULE LINE Exhaust Air Waste Water Scope of Services offers all the services necessary to build a turn-key solar cell production line. This service includes the planning and technical design of the production building, all supplies and additional equipment. Depending on the planned manufacturing capacity, the technical plans including the investment needs are created. The design is based on the relevant statutory provisions and regulations. offers not only the cell production line, but also the upstream ingot wafer production and solar module line with the complete accessories.

07 Scope of Services Optimized building including facilities and utilities Complete ingot and wafer line (including sub supplier s equipment) Cell-line equipment and services in packages of increasing content such as equipment package (LINEX/SILEX II, SINGULAR) On-site project engineering/management package for complete equipment Ramp-up and process commissioning and guarantees turn-key solutions Module line for standard or building integrated modules Planning, installation and commissioning of complete solar plants 1/2/3 year(s) after FAT production support for all equipment

Subsidiaries Offices Headquarters AG Hanauer Landstrasse 103 D - 63796 Kahl, Germany Tel. +49 6188 440-0 Fax +49 6188 440-130 sales@singulus.de www.singulus.de Production Site for Wet Processing Systems AG Niederlassung Fürstenfeldbruck Fraunhoferstr. 9 82256 Fürstenfeldbruck Tel. +49 8141 3600-0 Fax +49 8141 3600-100 sales@singulus.de China SHANGHAI Tel. +86 13917382315 Michael.Han@singulus.de France FRANCE S.A.R.L. Tel. +33 3 893111-29 singulus@club-internet.fr Latin America LATIN AMERICA LTDA. Tel. +55 1121 6524-10 rodolfo.mignone@singulus.com.br Singapore ASIA PACIFIC PTE LTD. Tel. +65 674 119-12 sales@singulus.com.sg Taiwan TAIWAN LTD. Tel. +886 2 2748-3366 sales@singulus.com.tw United States and Canada INC. Tel. +1 860 68380-00 sales@singulus.com Thin Film Deposition Surface Engineering Thermal Processing Innovations for New Technologies builds machines for economical and resourceefficient production processes. strategy is based on the use and expansion of its existing core competencies. The application areas include coating technology, surface processing, wet-chemical applications as well as the related chemical and physical processing steps. The company s target is to reach a technologically leading position in the Solar division. Wet Chemical 2_003-4/2017 MetaCom - Printed in Germany - Technical alterations reserved For all machines, processes and applications draws upon its know-how in the areas of automation and process technology.