20 February 2012

Ceres acquires Veeco’s CIGS PV equipment assets

Ceres Technologies Inc of Saugerties, NY, USA, which provides process equipment for the semiconductor and solar industries (as well as ultra-high-purity specialty gas and chemical handling products), has expanded further into the photovoltaic equipment manufacturing supply chain with its recent purchase of certain technology and product assets of the copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) system business formerly operated by epitaxial deposition and process equipment maker Veeco Instruments Inc of Plainview, NY, USA.

The CIGS product line adds to Ceres’ growing portfolio of products and services in renewable energy, with production-ready CIGS deposition tool sets including machines for molybdenum back contact, CIGS absorber layer and transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layers. The current product offering allows roll-to-roll deposition on stainless-steel substrates at 0.3m, 0.6m and 1.0m widths. In addition, a production-scale CIGS glass process tool is in development. As part of the technology purchase, Ceres has obtained the right to manufacture, support and further develop the CIGS equipment technology previously sold by Veeco.

“Ceres intends to selectively collaborate with PV equipment suppliers, CIGS cell and module manufacturers, and state and federal agencies with the intent of expanding production-worthy CIGS manufacturing tool sets to the PV market place,” says president & CEO Kevin Brady. “Ceres is well positioned to facilitate near-term and future CIGS module production capacity growth,” he reckons. “Our business model fosters strategic partnership with our customers to develop and fulfill pilot-line and production-scale requirements. Our CIGS equipment platforms, together with our full portfolio of gas and chemical handling products, provide our customers with a production-worthy supply of equipment infrastructure,” Brady continues.

“Ceres Technologies’ ‘adaptive’ (CIGS) platform architecture is designed to provide readily available process tool-sets to PV companies, allowing them to focus on development of their core IP by deploying it on a proven platform,” says Frank Reilly, VP of the Ceres Technologies’ Solar Group. “Cell and module manufacturing companies can also rely on Ceres’ engineering and equipment manufacturing expertise to realize scaling of their unique development or pilot-line methods and recipes.”

Tags: Veeco CIGS CIGS

Visit: www.cerestechnologies.com