SoLayTec
SoLayTec is a spin-off company of the Dutch research organization TNO and was founded in 2010. SoLayTec is part of the Amtech Group (Nasdaq ASYS). The company develops, delivers and services machines for atomic layer deposition (ALD) on solar cells worldwide. The SoLayTec ALD machines are designed for mass production in the solar market. SoLayTec has a leading position in the field of solar cell ALD equipment.
Company details
Find locations served, office locations
- Business Type:
- Manufacturer
- Industry Type:
- Solar Energy
- Market Focus:
- Globally (various continents)
- Employees:
- Over 1000
This company also provides solutions for other industrial applications.
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About US
SoLayTec is a spin-off company from the Dutch research organization TNO, which has a strong background in semiconductor, space and solar industry.
The company produces, develops, delivers and services worldwide machines for ultrafast, spatial Atomic Layer Deposition Equipment, a promising technology for ultrathin Al2O3 passivation layers on solar cells. The ALD machines from SoLayTec are intended for industrial production in the solar market. Using ALD in that context has been impossible until now because of the very low speed of ALD and thus the high cost. The unique feature of the SoLayTec machines is the breakthrough speed that enables industrial application.
SoLayTec machines are conveniently combined with the “InPolish” single side polishing equipment by RENA. SoLayTec ALD opens new options to increase efficiency of solar cells, especially for high efficiency cells. RENA recently increased its share in SoLayTec to 45 % thus becoming the largest shareholder of SoLayTec.
RENA GmbH
RENA GmbH is a German based equipment and technology company mainly active for the photovoltaic’s industry, but also for the semiconductor, printed circuit board and medical technology. RENA is expert for wet processing equipment for high tech branches. In the field 'wet processing for solar cell production' RENA with her 1200 employees is a world market leader. Main PV wet applications are texturing, junction isolation and in future selective emitter technology. With incoming orders in 2010 exceeding 500 Mio Euros RENA has stabilised her leading position. RENA owns a share of 45% in SoLayTec.
Our Product
SoLayTec introduces breakthrough techniques. Our distinctiveness is evident in using new technologies such as ‘spatial ALD’ and ‘motion of wafers by the double floating principle’. This enables the best possible passivation for all kind of c-Si solar cells . Furthermore, passivation can be done by a very thin layer at the lowest cost.
- Layer thickness flexibility
- Modular, Lab to Fab
- Up to 4,800 wph
Our Advantages Compared To PECVD
Better efficiency
In a comparison of the two technologies, ALD offered an average gain of 0.2% higher efficiency for PERC compared to the MW-PECVD AIOx.
Higher uptime / output
It’s known that the average uptime of MW-PECVD deposition technique is about 80-85%. The combination of InPassion ALD with SPECTRUM PECVD is about 95%.
Less TMA usage
Due to the fact that the ALD layer is only 5nm thick, and a standard PECVD layer is about 20nm, the saving is about factor 4.
More margin
Savings in TMA consumption along with higher efficiency and output result in a much higher margin for the customer.
Technology
Spatial ALD, highly conformal
Trenched wafer: w x d = 120nm x 9um, aspect ratio = 75
SoLayTec deposit 40nm Al2O3
Benefits:
- Very conformal coating, requires no polish
- Damaged surface and grain boundaries easily passivated
- Good solution for RIE etched or Black Silicon
Comparison Seff and Lifetime MW-PECVD AlOx versus ALD Al2O3
For ALD Al2O3 one leading PV solar cell manufacturer has measured a surface recombination velocity of between 1- 5cm/sec and on similar material for PECVD AlOx the Seff is ≥ 30cm/sec. In terms of lifetime, the above 2D lifetime maps are shown and clearly indicate that ALD passivation is a factor >2 better compared to MW-PECVD. The c-Si wafer quality will be improved further and this results in better bulk material of the c-Si material. When the bulk lifetime is improved, the surface passivation will be even more important and thus our customers request an excellent surface passivation of the Al2O3 for their future cell concepts.
High-efficiency concepts
For the PERC cell concept it is generally well-known that spatial ALD is a very effective deposition method and already in mass production at multiple cell manufacturers. In cooperation with the imec institute, it has been proven for n-type IBC and n-PERT structures that ALD is the right choice too. In several abstracts imec revealed that the Al2O3 layer is a better option compared to thermal SiOx passivation. This can be to passivate either the n+ or the p+ emitter. It is therefore expected to be highly effective in passivating the p+ emitter in the new TOPCON cell structure. We can conclude that the spatial ALD is a must-have in every high-efficiency cell manufacturing lab or fab.