PECVD

The Chinese module manufacturer led an international research team seeking silicon material savings and efficiency gains in the development of heterojunction PV devices. The cell achieved a certified power conversion efficiency of 26.06% with a thickness of 57 μm, with Germany’s Institute for Solar Energy Research confirming the result.

…but cell manufacturer Aikosolar is expecting a reversal in fortune for the first half of the year and has blamed rising solar panel material costs.

Last week’s announcement Oxford PV wants to wind up its “exclusive cooperation” with Meyer Burger after the fit out of its 100 MW German factory points to a potential divergence in strategies. And with Meyer Burger considering legal action in response, it could result in a messy, disruptive separation.

Scientists in Germany have developed a new process for deposition of silicon dioxide layers during cell production. Without the need for high pressure, flammable gases, or vacuum conditions, the process could lead to cost reductions for cell manufacturers, provided it can be developed and applied in a large-scale production setting.

Researchers in Germany are scaling up efforts to bring perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell technology into industrial scale production. The scientists say manufacturing cells of that kind is possible on widely-available six-inch silicon wafers and modular systems are being designed to do so at scale.

The French institute said the result has been certified by ISFH CalTeC, in Germany. The manufacturers claim they were able to increase cell performance by improving the plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition of amorphous silicon nanolayers and the conductive and anti-reflective transparent oxide layers.

Swiss equipment provider INDEOtec announced that it has received an order for its OCTOPUS II PECVD system from the renowned Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) in Germany.

Tempress systems, a subsidiary of U.S. based Amtech, has received a follow-on order for a multi-phase 1 GW project. The turnkey order is for an n-type bifacial manufacturing line, and includes high throughput PECVD and diffusion platforms.

The Swiss equipment company will provide its OCTOPUS II PECVD/PVD platform to King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia.

The bookings for the last four months include PECVD orders and an n-type bifacial turnkey line for customers in Asia, and will ship in the next six to nine months.