NanoVoltaix Company Blog (Solar) - equipment

Veeco Enters Into Strategic Partnership with Daiyang Metal Co. of Korea to Provide CIGS Solar Cell Equipment

nospam@example.com (chief editor) — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 08:50:35 -0700

PLAINVIEW, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Veeco Instruments Inc. (Nasdaq: VECO) announced today that it has entered into a strategic partnership with Daiyang Metal Co., Ltd. of Korea, a leader in the production of cold rolled stainless steel, to be its supplier of equipment to manufacture CIGS (copper, indium, gallium, selenium) solar cells. As a first milestone in this relationship, Daiyang has placed an initial multi-million dollar purchase order with Veeco for its complement of FastFlex™ Web Coating Systems to build a thin-film CIGS solar cell production line in Yesan, Korea. This complement of tools is comprised of one Mo (Molybdenum) deposition system, one TCO (Transparent Conductive Oxide) deposition system and two CIGS deposition systems. Veeco currently expects to ship these systems during the fourth quarter of 2009, after which it expects to firm up a follow-on order with Daiyang.

Chan Ku Kang, Chief Executive Officer of Daiyang, commented, “Daiyang Metal has an aggressive multi-year, multi-site plan to become a leading worldwide manufacturer of CIGS solar cells. Our short term goal is to aggressively ramp to 200MW capacity during 2010 and 2011, which will entail the purchase of additional Veeco systems. Ultimately it is our goal to achieve one gigawatt of CIGS production capacity by 2013. We spent a lot of time researching and surveying the suppliers of CIGS manufacturing tools, and were very impressed with the level of process support and collaboration we received from Veeco during that period. We chose Veeco because they are best prepared to meet our manufacturing and technology needs today and in the future.”

John R. Peeler, Veeco’s Chief Executive Officer, commented, “We are pleased to be selected by Daiyang as they enter the CIGS solar cell market. This partnership is especially important to us because together, with Daiyang as the substrate manufacturer and Veeco as the production equipment supplier, we can accelerate the solar industry’s efficiency roadmap. CIGS is emerging as the next generation solar technology, offering combined benefits of higher efficiencies and lower costs when compared with silicon.”

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Spire Receives DOE Contract to Develop a Microcrack Detection Technique for Silicon Solar Cells and Wafers

nospam@example.com (chief editor) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 07:58:37 -0700

BEDFORD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Spire Corporation (Spire) (Nasdaq: SPIR), a global solar company providing turnkey solar factories and capital equipment to manufacture photovoltaic (PV) modules and cells worldwide, today announced that it has received a contract from the United States Department of Energy (DOE) to develop a microcrack detection technique for silicon solar cells and wafers. This automated diagnostic system will enable solar cell and module manufacturers to significantly reduce the cost and improve the reliability of their PV modules.

Both mono- and multi-crystalline solar cells and wafers occasionally contain microcracks that are difficult or impossible to detect by visual inspection. These cracks can propagate during module assembly or after installation, resulting in cell breakage and module power loss. Spire will investigate a microcrack detection technique that can be used as an in-process diagnostic method for identifying defective crystalline silicon wafers or solar cells in a production line. This new diagnostic capability will enable solar cell and module manufacturers to reduce labor requirements for inspection and rework, increase production yields, and improve module reliability and lifetime in the field.

Upon successful demonstration of the crack detection technology, it will be engineered into Spire’s production cell test, cell string, and assembly equipment.

Sencera Completes $ 15.6 Million Second Round Staged Equity Placement

nospam@example.com (chief editor) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 09:03:08 -0600

Charlotte, North Carolina. Sencera, a developer of photovoltaic modules and thin film systems, announced completion of a three-stage $15.6 million equity investment. Under the terms of the transaction, the company has received $5.2 million in equity. The remaining investment is to be completed in two equal stages of $5.2 million based upon completion of development milestones. Proceeds will be utilized to fund the Company’s first 35-Megawatt photovoltaic module factory located in Charlotte, NC. Sencera will also accelerate the development of its second generation high-efficiency amorphous / microcrystalline silicon solar module. “This investment will help us outfit the first full manufacturing line, and will accelerate process development on our thin-film silicon based photovoltaic modules. We anticipate reduced manufacturing costs over traditional modules, with Sencera’s module production costs expected to be below $1 per peak watt”, stated CEO Dr. Rusty Jewett.

Quercus Trust and Michael Draper of Equinox Securities led the investment. “We are pleased to expand Sencera’s long-term strategic relationships with experienced clean tech investors”, stated Dr. Jewett. Quercus and Draper also led the company’s initial $3.6 million equity investment announced April 15, 2008.

Sencera was founded in 2003 as a hardware company focused on the thin film transistor and integrated circuit industries. The company developed plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) tools and processes for a wide variety of materials. In 2006, high-quality amorphous and microcrystalline silicon thin films were produced at rates 8-10 times faster than leading thin film solar module companies. As a result, Sencera shifted focus to the solar energy industry. In 2007, The Viper™ PECVD manufacturing platform was introduced. The first prototype manufacturing line, based on the Viper™, was opened in mid 2008. Recently, Sencera announced plans to produce thin film photovoltaic modules in its first production factory in Charlotte, NC.

In addition to the production of 1.1 by 1.4 meter amorphous silicon modules, Sencera’s will enhance Research and Development capabilities at its Charlotte, NC headquarter office. Incentives from the State of North Carolina, Mecklenburg County and the City of Charlotte, coupled with Grant from the North Carolina Green Fund (the highest amount awarded in 2008) facilitated the expansion. The Company expects to employ 75 highly skilled workers at the Charlotte facility by 2011.

GT Solar inks deal with DC Chemical

nospam@example.com (chief editor) — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 17:56:07 -0600

Gina Roos Green SupplyLine

Merrimack, N.H. — GT Solar Inc., a global provider of specialized equipment and technology for the solar power industry, has signed a $173 million contract with DC Chemical Co., Ltd., a Korean chemical company, to supply polysilicon production equipment.

Under the terms of the agreement, GT Solar will provide DC Chemical with state-of-the-art polysilicon CVD reactors, which are used to manufacture polysilicon, a key raw material used to produce solar cells. This latest agreement marks the third contract between the two companies since GT Solar began offering CVD reactors and related equipment in 2006. DC Chemical has begun manufacturing polysilicon and recently announced a large-scale expansion.

"Higher global energy prices, increased environmental awareness and the desire for energy security are accelerating the adoption of solar power. In addition, governments around the world have implemented various tariffs, tax credits and other incentives designed to encourage the use of solar power," said Tom Zarrella, president and chief executive officer for GT Solar International, in a statement.

LDK Solar Awards $220M Contract to Applied Materials

nospam@example.com (chief editor) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 09:47:57 -0600

LDK Solar has awarded a $220 million contract to Applied Materials to provide precision wafering systems to support its next phase of production expansion. The systems are scheduled to begin shipping to LDK Solar's facility in Xinyu, PRC, in early 2009, and will support LDK Solar's previously announced plans to expand to 3.2GW annualized wafer capacity in 2010.

"We believe that Applied's state-of-the-art wafering systems, including its HCT wire saws and squarers, are the best choice to help us scale up capacity to meet the expanding global demand for wafers," stated Mr. Xiaofeng Peng, Chairman and CEO of LDK Solar. "We have used HCT wire saws since the beginning of our manufacturing operations in 2006, and they have continued to demonstrate the performance necessary to deliver high-quality, cost-effective wafers to our customers."

"We are very pleased to be selected by LDK Solar for this milestone agreement -- the largest contract ever awarded for wafering systems," said Stefan Schneeberger, vice president and general manager of Applied's Precision Wafer Systems division. "LDK Solar is known for its advanced wafer production capability and Applied Materials is committed to providing LDK Solar with the leading-edge technology to meet its most critical performance requirements."

Veeco buys solar equipment firm

nospam@example.com (chief editor) — Fri, 23 May 2008 13:19:21 -0600

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Extending its reach in solar, Veeco Instruments Inc. has acquired Mill Lane Engineering Inc., a manufacturer of web coating systems for flexible solar panels.

The purchase price was $11 million, paid at closing, plus potential additional payments.

Mill Lane (Lowell, Mass) has been renamed Veeco Solar Equipment Inc. The unit will be managed by Piero Sferlazzo, senior vice president of Veeco (Plainview, N.Y.).

''Veeco [will] combine Mill Lane's web coating and vacuum engineering expertise with our existing thin film deposition technologies, such as ion beam and physical vapor deposition and thermal sources, to address the equipment needs of thin film solar manufacturers,'' Sferlazzo said in a statement.

Mill Lane and has approximately 20 employees. Mill Lane has an existing multi-unit order for web coating systems from a leading manufacturer of thin film copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) solar cells.

Mill Lane is not currently expected to have a material impact on Veeco's second quarter revenue guidance of $102-to-$110 million. However, the acquisition is expected to impact previously provided Q2 earnings guidance due to the addition of Mill Lane's operating expenses.

Veeco anticipates that the transaction will decrease its second quarter earnings per share guidance by approximately $0.05 per share on a GAAP basis, and $0.02 per share on a non-GAAP basis. Veeco currently forecasts that Mill Lane will add approximately $10-to-$15 million in second half 2008 revenues, but is not anticipated to have a material impact on earnings.

Over the years, Veeco has expanded its semiconductor equipment business into other markets, such as hard disk drives, and now, solar.

Source EE Times

Oerlikon Solar: First contract in mainland China for full vertically integrated thin film solar production line

nospam@example.com (chief editor) — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 09:00:21 -0600

Beijing, April 24, 2008 - Oerlikon Solar and Baoding Tianwei announced today the contract signing for a turnkey thin film solar module production line. The initial production capacity will be 46.5 MWp (Megawatt peak) per year. The deal includes all major thin-film solar module production equipment including metrology and testing facilities. In the coming months the machinery will be shipped, installed and commissioned by a team of Oerlikon Solar experts. The project site is located in Bao Ding。

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Quickly expanding Roth & Rau receives big order from China

nospam@example.com (admin) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 11:51:55 -0600

April, 2008: After production equipment supplier Roth & Rau AG announced buying a stake in another eastern German equipment maker – Sasit Industrietechnik – based in Zwickau at the end of January, it quickly continued its expansion tour.

Only a month later, it reported that a joint venture will be established with German automation company USK Karl Utz Sondermaschinen GmbH.

Roth & Rau acquired both the employees and the production facility of Sasit. On the 3,000 m² site, it plans to build the majority of the systems that are used as a platform for Roth & Rau‘s thin-film technology, which is being made for the Swiss turnkey thin-film supplier Oerlikon Solar.

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