18 April 2011

H.C. Starck’s CIGS, a-Si and CdTe PV sputter targets on show at SVC TechCon

With increasing global interest in safe and sustainable energy sources promising a bright future for US-based thin-film PV production, H.C. Starck of Newton, MA, USA (which supplies refractory metals and technical ceramics) reckons that a local presence coupled with global reach is critical to efficiently and effectively meet the rapidly increasing demand for sputtering targets. With almost 3000 staff at more than 30 locations worldwide including in the USA, Asia and Europe, the firm — which is exhibiting in booth 1214 at this year’s Society of Vacuum Coaters Technical Conference (SVC TechCon 2011) in Chicago, IL, USA (19–20 April) — says that it offers local support to customers.

Responding to the demand to lower the cost-per-watt, H.C. Starck’s Fabricated Products Group of Euclid, OH, USA has developed sputtering targets with what is claimed to be superior sputtering performance for thin-film PV (TFPV) solar energy applications. The firm says that this performance has been achieved using thin-film materials labs equipped with sputtering tools and supporting equipment for testing film characteristics, together with in-house prototyping and modeling.

Marketing to copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS), amorphous silicon (a-Si) and cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin-film photovoltaic solar module makers, H.C. Starck manufactures custom rotary and planar sputter targets from molybdenum- and nickel-based alloys along with its other core competency materials: tantalum, niobium and tungsten. The firm says that the most demanding requirements of target users in LCD display, large-area coating and solar cell applications are accomplished through the use of extrusion technology.

H.C. Starck produces molybdenum rotary targets with inside diameters of 125mm (monolithic) and 135mm (bonded) applications in molybdenum up through the current largest rotary target requirement. Tantalum, niobium, nickel-vanadium and other materials are produced in planar or rotary form. The firm adds that its extruded rotary targets are fully dense with extremely low oxygen levels.

See related items:

H.C. Starck targets improved sputtering materials at CIGS, a-Si and CdTe PV cell makers

Tags: CIGS CdTe Sputtering

Visit: www.hcstarck.com

Visit: www.svc.org

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