Dry vacuum pumps help cut solar cell costs
An
Edwards product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team
Oct 4, 2002
A new continuously operating high-capacity coating technique for producing multi-crystalline-based solar cells uses dry vacuum pumping technology from BOC Edwards.
Roth and Rau, one of the leading manufacturers of production equipment for silicon nitride antireflection and passivation layers used in multi-crystalline-based solar cells, has developed a novel continuously operating high capacity coating technique.
A key element of the new equipment is the dry vacuum pumping technology from BOC Edwards.
Solar energy is growing in popularity as an environmentally friendly energy source.
This new process from Roth and Rau, which helps make a significant reduction in the cost of solar cell production, is a major boost for the application of solar energy worldwide.
The plant at Wuestenbrand, Germany, manufactures the systems which are suitable for coating all sizes of solar cell and, depending on wafer size, boast a throughput of up to 1400 wafers per hour.
The wafers to be coated are transported on special carriers in batches of up to 49 through the processing system.
After passing through a load lock which is evacuated to 0.001mbar, the wafers are heated to the process temperature of 3500C.
The next step takes place in the process chamber and involves the deposition of silicon nitride from a silane/ammonia mixture using specially developed plasma sources at a working pressure of 0.08-0.5mbar.
The required film thickness is 70-80nm.
After cooling in a cooling chamber, venting with nitrogen follows and the carriers exit via the outlet lock.
The wafers can be loaded and unloaded via an optional automated system.
Oil-free pumping chambers are a distinguishing feature of these pumps: contamination of the solar cells due to backstreaming of sealing and operating oil into the process chambers therefore cannot occur.
As neither sealing nor filtration media are present in the pump, no costly waste disposal is necessary.
The pumps require very little maintenance, thus contributing to long service intervals for the production units in which they are used.
Three pump combinations consisting of an EH4200 booster pump and a GV600M dry pump are used with each unit.
One pump set is used for each of the two load locks and one for the process chamber.
By using three identical sets, spares stocking can be reduced to a minimum.
The mechanical booster pump EH4200 is equipped with a patented hydrokinetic coupling, which makes possible faster pumpdown from atmosphere compared to similar pumps based on bypass valves or pressure sensors.
The GV600M dry pump consists of a unique combination of one roots and three claw stages and thus achieves a very good end vacuum and high pumping speeds.
Purging the individual stages and the exhaust with nitrogen prevents process dust being deposited in the pump and auto-ignition of silane in the exhaust.
Not what you're looking for? Search the site.
Google Ads
Contact Edwards
Related Stories
- MPB's biodiesel tractors use filtration technology
- Catalent saves energy costs with Easiheat systems
- IQ actuators control barrage butterfly valves
- Control-valve diagnostics cut Iggesund's costs
- Bespoke solution for Qatar offshore platform
Articles by product category
- Consultancy and Services (903)
- Machine Building (4,517)
-
Engineering Design Software (6,179)
- Engineering Design Software (12)
- 2D CAD software (200)
- 3D CAD software (1,157)
- FEA and structural analysis software (369)
- Fluid, thermal, noise, vibration software (334)
- Simulation, modelling, validation software (914)
- Rendering, visualisation, styling software (196)
- Materials design and moulding design software (151)
- Process, instrumentation, automation software (258)
- Electrical design software (164)
- Publishing and documentation software (229)
- Maths, charting, statistics, QA software (317)
- Data, document management software (310)
- CAM, CNC, production management software (568)
- File conversion software, data capture (351)
- PLM and collaboration software (649)
-
Drives, Motors and Controls (3,361)
- Drives, Motors and Controls (1)
- Precision Motors and Gears (411)
- Industrial Drives/Controls (1,276)
- Linear Drives and Motors (114)
- Industrial Motors (497)
- Stepper and Servo Drives, Motors, Controls (1,060)
- Small Mechanical Components, Joining, Tools (1,975)
-
Control and Instrumentation (5,028)
- Plantwide control (1,324)
- Plant- and Machine-Wide Communications (1,174)
- Smaller-Sized PLCs (387)
- CNC and Motion Controllers (184)
- Mid-range and Large PLCs (201)
- Power Supplies, Uninterruptible Power (562)
- HMIs/Operator Interfaces (294)
- Logic Controllers, Timers and Relays (96)
- Cabling, Conduit, Signal Conditioning (806)
-
Monitoring, Measurement and Quality (5,459)
- Monitoring, Measurement and Quality (1)
- Data acquisition Software and Communications (494)
- Data Acquisition Hardware and PC I/O Boards (472)
- Electrical and Electronic Testing, PAT Equipment (630)
- Form/co-ordinate, optical, vision instruments (703)
- Gauges, Indicators and Instruments (440)
- Data loggers (422)
- Materials testing equipment (421)
- Telecomms/network test equipment, software etc (154)
- Testing and Calibration Services and Information (500)
- Testing, analysing and monitoring equipment (1,222)
-
Electrical and Electronic Equipment Design (4,160)
- Batteries, chargers and circuit protection (555)
- Connectors, Terminals, Busbars, Slip Rings (679)
- Enclosures and Equipment Cooling Fans (709)
- Knobs, Handles and Enclosure Hardware (420)
- PCs and Embedded Systems (798)
- Electrical and Electronic Subassemblies (369)
- Electrical and Electronic Components (630)
-
Materials and Processing (2,963)
- Materials and Processing (5)
- Materials and components (2,215)
- Rapid Prototyping (458)
- Materials processing and testing (285)
-
Engineering Industry News, Resources (6,093)
- Engineering Industry News, Resources (4)
- Engineering Business News, Views (388)
- Engineering Exhibitions, Events (562)
- Engineering Conferences (425)
- Engineering Seminars (400)
- Engineering Industry Developments, Awards (633)
- Engineering Guides, Newsletters (349)
- Engineering Recruitment, Employment (219)
- Engineering Training Courses (433)
- Engineering Education, Resources, Standards (838)
- Engineering Industry Reports, Surveys (597)
- Electronic Resources for Engineers (278)
- Health and Safety Legislation (402)
- Health and Safety Strategy, Risk Assessment (113)
- Health and Safety Consultancy, Software (175)
- Health and Safety Events, Training, News (277)
-
Powertrain Design (3,598)
- Powertrain Design (2)
- Bearings (939)
- Chains and belts (326)
- Gears, brakes, couplings and engines (1,441)
- Hydraulic Components (471)
- Lubricants (418)
-
Capital Equipment (3,387)
- Capital Equipment (1)
- Manufacturing Machinery and Plant Equipment (468)
- Production line blowers and fans (62)
- Compressors and Air Treatment (510)
- Electronics Manufacturing, Tools, Instruments (192)
- Electrical hardware (131)
- Machinery and Production Equipment (1,093)
- Robotics, Handling and Storage (930)
-
Sensors (7,080)
- Sensors (8)
- Accelerometers and Vibration Sensors (427)
- Loadcells, Force Sensors, Torque Sensors (699)
- Pressure sensors (621)
- Flowmeters and Flow Sensors (618)
- Level Sensors and Leak Detectors (527)
- Linear Position Sensors (399)
- Rotary Position, Tilt and Angular Sensors (546)
- Proximity Sensors (700)
- Gas, Chemical, Radiation, Magnetic Sensors (284)
- Humidity and Environmental Sensors (152)
- Temperature sensors (612)
- Vision and Colour Sensors (1,384)
- Barcode Sensors (103)
- Valves, Pumps, Process Hardware (3,623)
