News

4 March 2009

 

Newport launches laser edge deletion system for thin-film PV panels

At this week’s Photon Technology Show in Munich, Germany (4-6 March), Newport Corp of Irvine, CA, USA is launching the SolaryX Edge, a laser edge deletion system that uses high-power, pulsed lasers to enable effective and efficient removal of all coatings – including amorphous silicon (a-Si), cadmium telluride (CdTe), copper indium diselenide (CIS) or copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) - around the perimeter of thin-film solar panels.

Newport claims that a unique optical design makes the SolaryX Edge a lower-cost, higher-throughput product while occupying a significantly smaller footprint than competing laser-based systems. It also eliminates the consumables that are required for other methods (e.g. sandblasting), suiting the global thin-film solar panel manufacturing market.

Picture: Newport Corp's SolaryX Edge laser edge deletion system.

The rugged system is designed for maximum reliability in 24/7 industrial environments. “The SolaryX Edge provides superior performance, combining extremely fast coating removal rates for takt times down to 22 seconds, high reliability, and significantly lower cost of ownership than other solutions,” claims Ron Hartmayer, director of marketing, Photovoltaic Systems at Newport.

As the latest addition to Newport's portfolio of photovoltaic manufacturing and test solutions, the new system joins the SolaryX family of laser scribe tools, lasers for thin-film scribing and patterning, automated PV I-V test stations, and solar simulators. SolaryX Edge systems have already shipped to customers in the USA and are currently operational in plants manufacturing thin-film solar panels.

Search: Laser edge deletion system a-Si CdTe CIS CIGS

Visit: www.newport.com