[news] - stangl.de

SINGULUS SOLAR
Partner in R+D and Manufacturing of PV Cells
The Photovoltaic Industry has seen tremendous
growth over the last 5 years and beyond. The
manufacturers of silicon wafers and panels
as well as of thin-film cells on glass or flexible
materials have very successfully built up a
global business. Equipment suppliers developed
new machines and production processes in
order to meet their customer needs. Market
demand in the past for both exceeded market
supply by far, and public funding was offered
[news]
NEWS MAGAZINE FOR OUR BUSINESS FRIENDS
ISSUE 36 SEPTEMBER 2009
as incentive for industrial and private
PV installations.
Since about one year the PV industry is going
through a fundamental change: The emerging
Also in this Issue: n New ILGAR Process n Thin-film Solar on Flexible Materials n SINGULAR AR-Coating n Mastering
n Thin-film Cells on Glass n Silicon Solar n Blu-ray, 3D and more n Service News

page 2 [news Solar] | ISSUE 36 | SEPTEMBER 2009
phase of worldwide PV technologies will stay
behind us and will be followed by the industrial
phase which is characterized by ‘high volume
and low cost of ownership’. We have seen
similar changes over the technology lifespan
and market development in other businesses,
too. The Optical Disc storage technology with
CD, DVD and Blu-ray is a good example for
such general transformations during the last
three decades.
Therefore the rules of the game are going
to change towards a more competitive
environment: On top we will see more
innovation in designs of cells and production
technologies. This will lead to higher efficiency
and higher manufacturing yield of cells, and
both together will drive the cost down over
time. All companies in the PV industry have
to adapt themselves to these rules and act
accordingly in the future.
SINGULUS + STANGL are jointly offering
their services to cell producers. Our combined
R+D talents and capabilities in coating by
SINGULUS and wet chemical processing by
STANGL including industrial engineering of
reliable production equipment will enable our
customers to take advantage of innovation
and cost reductions. We are experienced in
establishing close customer relationships
and are used to work as loyal partners.
The shareholders and management of
SINGULUS + STANGL have made a strong
and long term commitment to the PV industry
with substantial investments. We want to be
challenged by our customers.
Roland Lacher
President and CEO
SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES AG
Picture on front page:
Right: Roland Lacher, CEO
Left: Dr.-Ing. Stefan Rinck, Board Member
View of a process chamber of the ILGAR Lab-Line.
SOLUTUS
New Inline Multi Chamber System for
Thin-Film Solar Cells
STANGL and the Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin für
Materialien und Energie (HZB) have developed
a new process for application in the production
of thin-film solar cells.
This newly developed technology extends
SINGULUS + STANGL’s product portfolio.
The so-called Spray Ion Layer Gas Reaction
Process (ILGAR) is a new method for the
production of thin-film solar cells, which
was invented at and patented by HZB. The
ILGAR process will be used for the application
of indium sulfide buffer layers, which are
capable of replacing cadmium sulfide in thinfilm
solar cells. The spray technology is
reproducible, fast and cost-efficient.
The SOLUTUS multi chamber system for
‘Spray Ion Layer Gas Reaction Process’ (ILGAR)
Production Inline System
The resulting layers give a smooth conformal
coverage even on rough absorber substrates.
is a fully automated production line for singleside
coating of glass substrates, for CIS/CIGS
or CdTe photovoltaic modules, with In 2S 3 or
alternative buffer layers based on AACVD
process in inline operation.
Advantages:
- Cadmium free
- High efficiency cells produced with potential
for further improvement. A certified efficiency
of 14.7 % was measured at ISE Freiburg
- Inline, fast production speeds
- No vacuum required
- Quasi-dry process
SINGULUS + STANGL will exclusively market
the new production machine for ILGAR thinfilm
solar cells on glass and flexible materials.
_ AACVD atmospheric
process, no vacuum
required
_ Carrierless Transport
System for substrate up
to 600 x 1200 mm
_ Machine cycle 60 s
_ Continuous substrate flow
under the aerosol area
_ Design for variable size
of production substrates:
LEL up to 600 x 1200 mm
_ Larger substrate sizees
can be process on request!

| ISSUE 36 | SEPTEMBER 2009 | [news Solar]
Process Equipment for Photovoltaic Thin-Film Cells on Glass
Thin-film cell-based modules supply energy
even at low light levels and high temperatures.
Low manufacturing costs of the CIS modules
can only be achieved in mass production.
STANGL designs and produces high-tech
systems that are used for fully-automated
application of the single-sided wet chemical
CdS coating.
VITRUM: Wet Process Equipment for
Cleaning, Etching & Coating
The VITRUM wet processing machine is
available in different versions, e.g. cleaning,
etching, brush off, CdCl 2 or KCN. Besides the
low cost of ownership, the main advantages of
VITRUM are the exceptionally high throughput
with a cycle time of only 30/60 seconds
depending on glass size and process and the
modular, highly integrated design. Furthermore,
VITRUM offers inline systems for spraying
or dipping and the standard or customer
specific substrate sizes up to 2600 mm.
TENUIS: Equipment for Economic
Processing of CdS Buffer Layers for CIS Cells
With its TENUIS coating machines, STANGL
has reached an internationally leading position
in the CIS/CIGS thin-film technology. STANGL
designs and produces high-tech systems that
are used for fully automated application of the
single-sided wet chemical CdS coating offering
low manufacturing costs of the CIS modules.
The fully-automated "dry-in/dry-out" STANGL
thin-film coating systems, used for singlesided
wet chemical CdS coating, assure the
customer a safe and reliable production
capacity of up to 40/85 MW per line.
Process Equipment for Thin-Film Solar Cells on Flexible Materials
Thin-film solar cells on flexible materials are
advancing due to their potential applications
regarding low weight, high flexibility and low
cost of manufacturing compared to silicon
based solar cells.
STANGL offers roll-to-roll production systems
of the type IMPEDIO for the wet-chemical
coating of solar cells based on CIS/CIGS
technology. Following the commissioning of a
first IMPEDIO CIGS system for the one-sided
CdS coating of CIGS films in a 1.5 MW pilot
solar production line, STANGL produced
and delivered 8 systems to Ascent Solar to
increase the output to 30 MW. The roll-toroll
IMPEDIO product portfolio for thin-film
technology on flexible material (metal/plastic)
includes:
– Roll-to-Roll Chemical Bath Deposition (CBD)
of CdS/alternative buffer layers for CIS,
CIGS, CIGSSe technologies
– Roll-to-Roll Inline-Cleaning (DI-Water,
Tensides)
– Roll-to-Roll Inline-Etching (KCN, HCl, H 3PO 4)
STANGL also supplies the following facility
management systems: chemical supply
systems, chemical mixing systems and waste
water treatment.
With its high availability (uptime > 98 %) and
the lowest possible chemical consumption, an
IMPEDIO system offers a low cost of ownership
in the production of flexible solar cells.
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page 4 [news Solar] | ISSUE 36 | SEPTEMBER 2009
Process Equipment for Silicon Solar Technology
Today´s dominating solar cell concept is based
on cells made from crystalline silicon. STANGL
provides completely automated solutions for
polysilicon etching as well as treatment for Si
wafers & cells in standard and high-efficiency
production lines.
MATERIA: Wet Chemical System for Polysilicon
Chunk Etching, Cleaning & Drying
The MATERIA PCE is a batch system for
chemical etching, cleaning, and drying of
polysilicon chunks. MATERIA is adapted to the
high purity demand in polysilicon production.
Simultaneously, lowest possible total cost
of ownership has been a key driver in the
development of this machine.
SINGULAR – Modular Inline AR Coating System
for c-Si Solar Cell Production
First Machine Will Be Installed in October 2009
Solar cell production is making the transition
from the pioneering stage towards mass
production. Innovative and flexible cell
concepts demand a mass production concept
GERULUS: Wet Chemical System for Wafer
Block Pre-Clean & Deglueing
The STANGL GERULUS Pre-clean & Deglue
system processes the wafers after being cut.
This includes removal of slurry as well as
deglueing the wafers from their carrier beam.
The GERULUS system can be configured in a
wide range to adapt to all kinds of slurry and
glue types. To guarantee lowest possible water
and surfactant consumption, the system can be
equipped with a water & SiC recycling system.
Wet Process Equipment for c-Si Solar Cells
Batch-type Wet Benches of the SILEX series
are the “workhorses” for cleaning and etching
processes in Si-cell technology. Our machines
are matched to the demands of solar cell mass
production by lowest cost of ownership, outstanding
machine and process reliability as
which is equally innovative and flexible, as the
leap there from the laboratory is the most
expensive step in the development process.
With the SINGULAR machine, SINGULUS offers
a coating system which meets the demands
for both current and future PV cell production.
The SINGULAR is a fully automated inline
system consisting of independent modules.
The essential benefit of the inline technology
is the transport and process of small substrate
production lots, which guarantee stable and
consistent processes, continuous output,
flexibility and a small footprint.
This inline coating machine has a capacity for
the production of silicon solar cells in excess
of 4500 wafer/h. Using the vacuum coating
well as state-of-the-art design and technology.
While SILEX wet benches are the first choice
for cleaning and alkaline texturing of monocrystalline
wafers, the manufacturing lines of
multicrystalline solar cells preferably apply
acidic texturing processes on inline-working
machines. PSG Removal processes are running
successfully in batch and inline-type equipment,
following more or less the philosophy of the
whole manufacturing process.
Additionally, inline equipment permits single-side
etching, applicable for edge isolation or sideselective
surface treatment. STANGL’s new
LINEA inline etching system can be configured
up to max. 1700 or 3400 wafers per hour
(156 mm), which equals a production capacity
of 30 and 60 MW.
process from other industrial appications the
manufacture of anti-reflective layers on solar
wafers will be fully automated. Due to the
extremely high quality of the anti-reflective
layer in the nanometer range, the light
transmission and passivation characteristics
will be improved and therefore the energy
efficiency of the finished cells will be increased.
With this step SINGULUS has developed a
completely new work area in the solar market,
which continues to grow long-term. The
SINGULAR machine, which will be manufactured
at SINGULUS in Kahl, is the logical addition
to the front end area. It ties directly to the
value-added chain of the LINEA machine by
STANGL. The LINEA cleans silicon solar cells
followed by the coating process.

SINGULUS Has
Installed 65 SINGULUS
Blu-ray Production
Lines Worldwide
The Blu-ray format has established itself
in the market as the standard for High
Definition Movies. The first and foremost
reason is apparent: Large flat-screen TVs
with diagonals exceeding one meter show
Blu-ray movies with considerably higher
resolution of details and substantially
clearer contrasts than the same movies
on DVD.
In 2005, SINGULUS delivered the first Blu-ray
production systems to major international
customers. With the successful market
introduction of the BLULINE II for Dual Layer
Blu-ray with 50 gigabyte capacity in February
2008, SINGULUS is going to repeat the DVD
success story. All disc producers (with the
exception of SONY) manufacture Blu-ray Discs
on machines made by SINGULUS. All production
steps – from molding, cooling, metallizing,
wet-embossing, lacquering and UV curing to
quality inspection – are incorporated in the
BLULINE II. Its functionality, speed and design
again set a new benchmark for the industry.
With over 60 Blu-ray production systems at
customer sites worldwide, SINGULUS has
become the global market leader. SINGULUS
was able to sell a first Blu-ray line to a
customer in Japan and another one to Brazil.
Blu-ray will continue to drive growth in the
Optical Disc segment for the coming years.
The market demand for Blu-ray in the US and
Europe is growing faster than the DVD market
introduction during the years 1997-1999.
Furthermore, the new 3D Movie and HDTV
technology requires Blu-ray discs with a
storage capacity of 100 gigabyte. This
development will provide additional potential
for the Blu-ray format.
| ISSUE 36 | SEPTEMBER 2009 | [news Optical Disc]
The new 3D Technology Will
Push the Demand for Blu-ray
At the IFA, the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA)
announced its plans for incorporating 3D into
the widely successful Blu-ray Disc format.
The rapid and enthusiastic consumer adoption
of Blu-ray Disc, coupled with the format’s
technical capabilities and capacity, make it
the ideal format for bringing a vibrant 3D
experience to consumers. The content of a HD
movie in 3D will need up to 100 Gbyte storage
capacity. First statements from the studios
explain that two 50 Gbyte Blu-ray Discs will be
used in the first years.
“The BDA intends to take full advantage of
the format’s high bandwidth and capacity to
achieve the very highest possible quality 3D
experience,“ said Victor Matsuda, Blu-ray Disc
Association Global Promotions Committee
Chair. “Just as Blu-ray Disc has paved the
way for next generation high-definition home
entertainment, it will also set the standard
for 3D home viewing in the future.” The BDA
comprising major motion picture studios, IT
and consumer electronics companies, is
working on a uniform specification to ensure
consistent delivery of 3D content across the
Blu-ray Disc Platform. The Association is
examining a number of criteria and at a
minimum, the specification will require
delivery of 1080p resolution to each eye
and backward compatibility for both discs
and players, meaning that 3D discs will also
include a 2D version.
“Consumer adoption of Blu-ray continues
to grow at a very steady pace,” said Bob
Chapek, President, Walt Disney Studios Home
Entertainment. “The 3D theatrical market has
been very successful this year. We are just
now seeing all of the true capabilities of 3D.
And with Blu-ray Disc’s superior technical
characteristics as well as with the broad
industry support of the format, it makes it the
ideal packaged media platform for 3D home
entertainment.”
5
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page 6 [news Solar] | ISSUE 36 | SEPTEMBER 2009
Source: Futuresource, UK, 9/2009
Blu-ray Disc Continues
to Go from Strength
to Strength
According to a report issued by Futuresource, UK, the global Blu-ray
Disc production is set to reach 473 million discs by the year end
(+ 57 % over 2008 production volumes).
Blu-ray-Video output is forecasted to expand by 71 % this year to
a total of 318 million discs. This is largely fuelled by the roll-out of
new release and catalogue titles by the major studios.
In Europe, close to one of ten homes will be Blu-ray enabled by
the end of this year. This offers a large future growth potential for
hardware and discs.
With falling prices, increased retail promotion and growing
awareness all helping to drive Blu-ray Disc demand across the
continent, the report predicts that this figure will continue to rise.
It is expected that over 20 % of European homes will be BD enabled
by the end of 2011. In line with this growth, sales of BD movie titles
are expected to top 31 million by the end of 2009 – a more than
three-fold increase on the 9 million sales recorded in 2008.
The report also highlights that despite 47 % of homes throughout
Europe having high-definition resolution screens, only 6 % are
currently receiving HD quality broadcasts.
Commenting on the report, Niels Leibbrandt, Chairman of the BDA EU
Promotion Committee said: “We’re starting to see a seismic shift in
uptake of BD as people become more aware of the benefits of the
format. The gap between those homes with high-definition screens
and those currently receiving high-definition broadcast quality
represents a fantastic opportunity for BD. If people want the image
and sound quality of HD now with no ongoing monthly investment,
then a BD player is the best way to immediately bridge this gap.”
Futuresource also highlights that the Christmas sales period will
continue to be important with close to 50 % of this year’s annual
shipment of BD players expected in the final quarter of the year.

The CrystalLine Blu-ray Mastering Shines
Now Accepted for Single & Dual Layer Blu-ray
With the imminent acceptance of the first
CrystalLine mastering system in Asia, SINGULUS
MASTERING is showing its continued power
in mastering by offering a cost-effective, wellengineered
alternative. Without any doubt
Blu-ray Disc is confirmed to be the format
of the future. However, there still remains
business for DVD and even CD. Apart from the
CrystalLines SINGULUS MASTERING anticipates
shipping about 10 CD/DVD mastering systems
in 2009.
The industry is consolidating. Companies
are concentrating production facilities on one
location and therefore moving mastering
systems over the world. This means that the
SINGULUS MASTERING service department
is working on classic mastering systems, such
as 8", AM 100 and DMS 8000, as well as on
the latest CrystalLine platform.
Several CrystalLine systems are now gearing
up for production of commercial titles and will
deliver masters for the successful SINGULUS
BluLine replication lines. New markets are
emerging for BD and it is expected that the
CrystalLine will soon be present in large and
small mastering companies all over the world.
Able to run for over 2 days unattended, the
CrystalLine requires minimal attention in
production. And by means of the Dutch
Connection, the mastering supervisor can
| ISSUE 36 | SEPTEMBER 2009 | [news Optical Disc]
check the status of the machine from any
remote location via the Internet. It is this
same Dutch Connection that enables responsive
assistance and support by the qualified
SINGULUS MASTERING staff when needed and
without loosing valuable time due to travel.
Finally, SINGULUS MASTERING has hired a
new technical director in the person of
Mr. Roland Tacken (MSc). In this position,
his responsibilities will cover all R&D and
Engineering activities within SINGULUS
MASTERING BV. Under his technical leadership,
SINGULUS MASTERING will continue improving
the CrystalLine mastering system, creating
new benchmarks for BD mastering technology.
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SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES AG
Hanauer Landstrasse 103,
D-63796 Kahl, Germany
Phone: +49 6188 440-0
Fax: +49 6188 440-110
E-mail: sales@singulus.de
Internet: www.singulus.de
NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS
Worldwide Service Network
The SINGULUS + STANGL Customer Service
comprises Technical Service and Spare
Parts Sales as well as Repair Expertise. The
SINGULUS + STANGL Global Service Network
has subsidiaries and agents in more than
30 countries, ensuring the availability of
highly-qualified service engineers and quick
delivery of spare parts for all SINGULUS and
STANGL systems.
The highest production levels require routine
preventive machine maintenance, performed
by experienced service engineers. Our long
years of experience proved that regular routine
maintenance is the warrant for a cost-saving
benefit to our customers. SINGULUS + STANGL
Customer Service provides specific maintenance
offers for each machine type.
Based on our excellent partnership with our
customers and suppliers we are able to provide
a variety of customer support activities at
attractive conditions.
To find out more about our service, please
contact our Customer Service Team at our
website www.singulus.de under "Customer
Service".
Headquarters
SINGULUS MASTERING B.V.
Marinus van Meelweg 2,
5657 EN Eindhoven, Netherlands
Phone: +31 407 5014-00
info@singulus.nl
STANGL Semiconductor Equipment AG
Fraunhofer Strasse 9
82256 Fürstenfeldbruck, Germany
Phone: +49 8141 3600-0
sales@stangl.de
HamaTech APE GmbH & Co. KG
Ferdinand-von-Steinbeis Ring 10
75447 Sternenfels, Germany
Phone: +49 7045 41-0
info@hamatech-ape.com
SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES AG
Subsidiaries
France SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES France S.A.R.L.
Tel. +33 3 893111-29
singulus@club-internet.fr
Great Britain SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES UK Ltd.
Tel. +44 1793 7842-00
brian.walsh@singulusuk.com
Italy SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES Italia s.r.l.
Tel. +39 0717 9303-12
info@singulus.it
Latin SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES
America Latin America Ltda.
Tel. +55 1121 6524-10
rodolfo.mignone@singulus.com.br
Singapore SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES
Asia Pacific PTE Ltd.
Tel. +65 674 119-12
singulus@singnet.com.sg
Spain SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES Iberica S.L.
Tel. +34 936 7500-25
singulus@singulusib.com
Taiwan SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES
Asia Pacific PTE Ltd.
Taiwan Representatives Office
Tel. +886 2 274833-66
sales@singulus.com.tw
USA/Canada SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES Inc.
Tel. +1 860 68380-00
sales@singulus.com
09/2009-MetaCom Printed in Germany, Technical alterations reserved