May 19 2014
Amtech Systems, Inc., a global supplier of production and automation systems and related supplies for the manufacture of solar cells, semiconductors, and sapphire and silicon wafers, today announced that the Company, along with its solar subsidiary, Tempress Systems, will exhibit at the 8th International Photovoltaic Power Generation Conference & Exhibition (SNEC 2014) May 20-22, 2014, in Shanghai, China at the Shanghai New International Expo Center (Hall E3, Booth 330).
To enable the PV roadmap towards lower cost and higher efficiencies, Tempress Systems is introducing two main innovations at next week's SNEC 2014:
- HD-POCl3TM Atmospheric High Throughput Diffusion: With throughput in excess of 3,200 wafers per hour (WPH) Tempress Systems is taking the next step in POCl3 processing using special chemistry and optimized hardware. The new system more than doubles the throughput compared to conventional POCl3 systems. The new POCl3 process is being introduced on Tempress Systems' 5-stack platform for emitter resistivity up to 140 ohm/square. The atmospheric process enables a low maintenance and high uptime system, while giving customers a throughput of more than 3,200WPH and outstanding efficiencies that are expected to be equal to or better than conventional atmospheric systems. We believe these innovations lead to the lowest cost per wafer currently available.
- n-PASHA technology: Together with the Energy Research Centre of The Netherlands (ECN) and Kingstone Semiconductor, a majority-owned subsidiary of Amtech Systems, we developed the 3rd generation of n-PASHA technology. This Ion-Implant Flow technology is currently yielding an average efficiency in production of 20.3%, with greater than 20.8% achieved in ongoing research and development. While achieving higher efficiency, the cost of ownership is lower than previous generations. This 3rd generation n-PASHA technology is part of a roadmap towards back-contacted cell structures using standard equipment with minimal additional process steps.
Dr. Albert Hasper, General Manager of Tempress Systems, commented: "We are very pleased that our continued investment in research and development, technologies and equipment during the industry down-cycle are now advancing our offerings into an evolving solar market. We expect these new innovations will bring our customers new solutions that enable them to reduce costs and increase efficiency. I am particularly proud of the fact that after introducing our new direct plasma SPECTRE™ PECVD system, we now offer two new innovations that can be integrated in existing and new production lines as the market looks to position itself for next generation production."