18 June 2012

Singulus targets commissioning of first CIS/CIGS Clustertool system this summer

At the Intersolar Europe 2012 trade show in Munich, Germany (13-15 June), Singulus Technolgies AG of Kahl am Main, Germany, which makes production equipment for the Optical Disc and Solar sectors, presented its new Clustertool system for the development of copper indium (gallium) diselenide (CIS/CIGS) thin-film photovoltaic modules on 300mm x 300mm substrates.

The firm says that there is demand in many R&D facilities for cost-efficient development tools to further develop CIS/CIGS technology, to test new process variations, and to transfer the results speedily to the production scale.

The ‘CIS Clustertool’ project hence began the development of new manufacturing processes for copper-indium-selenide-based thin-film semiconductors in July 2011 within the scope of the ‘Photovoltaics Innovation Alliance’ sponsorship program. The project was sponsored by the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF) and the German Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU).

The resultant Clustertool enables the integration of different process steps in a compact, modular system, in which the substrates are transported to the key manufacturing steps (e.g. coating, selenization, wet-chemical or thermal processes) through a central interface. Singulus aims to commission the first system this summer.

The firm says that, with the aid of this modular plant, large-scale manufacturing processes for CIGSSe solar cells will be developed. The goal is to considerably reduce the manufacturing costs for thin-film PV modules and to achieve the highest module efficiencies.

See related items:

Singulus adds vacuum-coating system to CIGS/CIS PV process equipment portfolio; receives first order

Tags: Singulus CIGS/CIS PV

Visit: www.singulus.de