ECN has signed an R&D partnership agreement with Tempress Systems, Inc., a subsidiary of the NASDAQ-quoted company Amtech Systems, Inc. The aim of the co-operation is to develop a new production process for solar cells and to improve the efficiency of solar cells using the diffusion furnace systems manufactured by Tempress.
The Energy research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN) has announced that it has signed an R&D partnership agreement with Tempress Systems, Inc., an international supplier of production- and IT-systems to manufacturers of semiconductors, solar cells and MEMS (micro electromechanical systems). Tempress, a subsidiary of Amtech Systems, is a Dutch manufacturer of diffusion furnaces that has been active in the solar cell industry for a several years now. Both ECN and Tempress are pleased that this agreement strengthens the position of Dutch parties in the PV industry.
The agreement focuses on two areas; (a) improving the phosphorus diffusion process for large silicon solar cells, and
(b) development of a new solar cell process that is suitable for n-type silicon. As regard to the latter, research is taking place into boron diffusion and high-temperature oxidation so as to achieve high efficiency and make this material suitable for commercial use in solar panels.
ECN unit manager Paul Wyers (centre left) and Fokko Pentinga, General Manager of Tempress (centre right) shaking hands to confirm the co-operation between the two companies. On the far left is Jan Bultman (ECN) and on the right Frans Derks (Tempress).
As part of the collaboration, Tempress has installed a 3-stack Tempress Systems™ diffusion furnace at ECN for the duration of the research project. This furnace can handle large silicon wafers up to 210 x 210mm and uses a system patented by Tempress that controls the atmosphere in the diffusion furnace tube in a very precise manner. The aim for Tempress is to market the process improvements that ECN will develop on the furnace through a licence agreement with ECN.
The research is being conducted at ECN, where Tempress will use the system to test its own ideas as well. The ECN facility will also be used to give demonstrations to existing and potential customers. ECN is providing this support as part of the co-operation
J.S. Whang, CEO of Amtech Systems, Inc., said in response to the signing of the agreement: “Our aim is to increase our market share by improving the quality of our product range. We can achieve this goal by working together with a centre of excellence such as ECN in the Netherlands.”
Contact
Paul Wyers
ECN Solar Energy unit manager
Tel. +31 (0)224 – 56 44 07
wyers@ecn.nl
Delft, 23 april 2013
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