The requirements our customer specified for the process equipment on frontend and backend process lines for manufacturing multi-crystalline solar cells were high. As part of a two-stage acceptance process, Schmid was again able to prove its expertise in process solutions. All of the parameters were completely fulfilled and some were even exceeded. Schmid has found its recipe for success when implementing a powerful solution in the optimization of individual processes and in the smooth interaction of all of the process components. To reduce the problem of interface connections to a minimum, Schmid produces almost all components of a complete process line within its own group. That includes all of the wet processes plus the furnaces of the American technology manufacturer SierraTherm, new to the Schmid Group, and last but not least, fully automatic cell handling. The installed, fully automatic systems functions in the horizontal line procedure exclusively, featuring an average throughput of 3,300 wafers/hour. Wafers with a 156 x 156 mm format and wafer thickness of 180µm are processed. The collaboration with the project partner has proven so successful that an additional order for three times the capacity has been placed at another location. The contract was signed in December 2008.
8 further process lines
The production capacity in this plant will be significantly expanded by investment in eight new process systems, and once again the solar cell manufacturer has chosen the Schmid Group as its partner. The system has been designed for wafer formats of 156 x 156 mm with a wafer thickness of 160µm and a throughput of 2,200 wafers/hour. With its process and service specialists trained in Germany as well as a substantial project team, the local service and distribution subsidiary newly established by Schmid will be able to provide comprehensive, quick service support on location. That gives the Schmid Group yet another opportunity to prove that they take their consulting and supervisory tasks as part of the contract very seriously, and value working together, in partnership.