Dec 14 2012
Nines Photovoltaics, has completed the build of its first industrial silicon wafer processing tool. The ground breaking solar cell manufacturing unit has recently been shipped to Fraunhofer ISE Germany, the largest solar energy research institute in Europe, where it will be installed and validated in a production environment.
Nines Photovoltaics technology is focused on dramatically changing the processes used to manufacture Solar Cells, reducing the production cost whilst also increasing cell efficiencies.
The shipment of this automated tool is a big step toward commercialization and represents a major milestone for Nines Photovoltaics, moving the technology away from the lab and closer to production. Fraunhofer ISE operates at the cutting edge of innovative solar technology and is one of only two places in the world that can certify solar cell efficiencies. They will provide an ideal platform to benchmark Nines Photovoltaics process against state of the art solar cell production, and promote the technology to solar cell manufacturers worldwide.
The areas of cost reduction and increased cell efficiency are of the upmost importance to solar cell manufacturers as they seek a competitive advantage in the struggle to survive this period of major consolidation within the PV Industry.
Through its breakthrough proprietary technology and equipment, Nines is working on dramatically changing the processes used to manufacture Solar Cells, reducing the production cost whilst also increasing cell efficiencies.
Nines Unique Approach
The Nines tool is used to etch away layers of silicon from a crystalline silicon wafer to facilitate the creation of a solar cell (in conjunction with a number of other process steps). This etching is currently done using a wet based chemical process. Nines has pioneered the use of a novel high throughput atmospheric pressure dry etching technology and is the first company to offer a processing solution, which uses a fully dry process using only Zero Global Warming Potential chemicals. In addition to the cost savings and efficiency increase, the transition to dry etching will dramatically lower cell manufacturer’s water consumption, enabling investment in the further scaling of their manufacturing facilities.
The company has been working with the Fraunhofer Group since 2010 to develop this new atmospheric pressure dry etch technology – the first Nines tool having been developed with Fraunhofer in August 2011.
Commenting on the progress Nines have made, Edward Duffy, CEO says “These are very exciting times; our tool is now installed in a world renowned Pilot Production line at the cutting edge of solar technology. This is a major step for Nines as we unveil our technology to the world at a time when the need for lower cost manufacturing solutions has never been greater and when the world is quietly waking up to the potential of solar PV”
Nines Photovoltaics technology will assist in moving the solar industry closer to “Grid Parity” – a point where solar electricity can compete on level terms with electricity generated from the burning of fossil fuels.