Press Release

Kahl am Main, August 17, 2010 – SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES (SINGULUS) offers solutions for front-end technology for the production of crystalline silicon solar cells. SINGULUS and its subsidiary STANGL together have proprietary know-how for the central steps of the production chain: wafer texturing, PSG removal and PECVD anti-reflection coating. The diffusion step for the junction formation is offered with a partner company. A front-end system from SINGULUS has been accepted by a European solar cell manufacturer, who successfully implemented two LINEA wet benches and one SINGULAR PECVD tool in early July 2010.

LINEA is an inline wet bench production tool with horizontal substrate transport for cleaning, etching and texturing of silicon solar wafers. The SINGULUS front-end operates with one LINEA ISOTEX for the saw damage removal and isotexturing of incoming raw wafers by a wet chemical process. The whole process flow, including rinsing and drying is fully automated. The second LINEA is used for phosphor silicon glass (PSG) removal and single side emitter edge isolation. PSG is a by-product of the prior diffusion process. The PSG removal has an important impact on the following PECVD process and therefore on the final cell efficiency. In the SINGULUS front-end setup, this process is executed by the innovative SINGULAR PECVD tool. Its tool concept bases on static inline production (SIP) which combines the advantages of inline substrate transport and static processing. The combination of inline PSG removal with inline PECVD allows enhanced final cell efficiencies.

Furthermore, the installation and commissioning of the first SINGULUS front-end by SINGULUS and its subsidiary STANGL an example for process automation and integration as well as for cost reduction of modern cell manufacturing.

Meet SINGULUS and STANGL in Valencia at the 25th EU PVSEC, Hall H2, Booth B11, on September 6-9, 2010 and see what we have to offer in the new solar age.