Market introduction of the new Clustertool system begins: Singulus presented the new Clustertool system for the development of CIS/CIGS solar modules of substrate size of 300 x 300 mm2. With the aid of this modular plant, innovative large-scale manufacturing processes for CIGSSe solar cells are to be developed. The goal is to considerably reduce the manufacturing costs for thin-film photovoltaic modules and to achieve highest module efficiencies.
The Clustertool enables the integration of different process steps in a compact, modular machine system. Through a central interface the substrates are transported to the most important manufacturing steps such as coating, selenization, wet-chemical or thermal processes.
Singulus will commission the first system in the summer 2012.
There is demand in many R & D facilities for cost-efficient development tools to further develop the CIS/CIGS technology, to test new process variations and to transfer the results to production scale in a quick manner.
Within the scope of a sponsorship program of the "Photovoltaics Innovation Alliance, the CIS Clustertool project commenced its research efforts for the development of new manufacturing processes for copper-indium-selenide-based thin-film semiconductors (CIS) in July 2011. The project was sponsored by the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF) and the German Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU).
20.1%-efficient screen-printed silicon solar cell with novel rear passivation layer:
In March 2012, the Institute for Solar Energy Research Hamelin (ISFH) increased the conversion efficiency of screen-printed silicon solar cells from todays industry typical 18.5% to a record value of 20.1%, as confirmed by an independent measurement from the Fraunhofer ISE CalLab. An improved cell rear side with an ICP-AIOx/SiNy double layer (ICP; inductively coupled plasma) enables this progress without selective emitter technology. 20.1% is one of the highest efficiencies worldwide reported for industrial type silicon solar cells with screen-printed metallization. The ISFH achieved this result in cooperation with Singulus.
Singulus integrates this process in a revised version of the SINGULAR coating machine and presented this plant concept to the trade at the professional fair Intersolar.
