Press Release

SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES Delivers Vacuum Coating Machine for Heterojunction High-Performance Solar Cells

Kahl am Main, 11 April 2019 - The SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES AG (SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES) delivers a vacuum coating machine of the GENERIS PVD type for the production of heterojunction solar cells (HJT) to a large manufacturer of solar cells. The order volume is in the mid-single-digit range. In addition to the already very successful SILEX II production machine for wet-chemical processes, SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES is thus able to position another product in the growing market for heterojunction high-performance cells.

Dr.-Ing. Stefan Rinck, CEO of the SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES AG, comments: "With the GENERIS PVD vacuum sputtering machine we are setting new standards for coating technology, which enables a quality improvement of the solar cells and at the same time reduces production costs. The GENERIS PVD therefore adds to our existing offering of the SILEX II, which has become a benchmark for wet-chemical processes for the manufacturing of heterojunction solar cells."

GENERIS PVD production machine with high replicability and highest productivity with low operating costs.
SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES already has numerous vacuum coating machines in operation in the solar industry and offers an inline sputtering system with horizontal substrate transport with the GENERIS PVD system, which is engineered for the specific requirements of the production of high-performance solar cells. The system ideally meets the key requirements of the heterojunction cell technology with respect to sophisticated, transparent and conductive oxide layers such as ITO and AZO. In the GENERIS PVD the solar cells are automatically transported through the process chambers following the inline principle and coated on both sides. The coating machine safeguards a high level of uniform layer thickness with high replicability of the layer with higher productivity and at the same time low operating expenses. SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES' GENERIS PVD was especially designed for very thin substrates such as wafers for the manufacturing of HJT solar cells.

Background: Heterojunction
The heterojunction technology combines the advantages of silicon solar cells with the excellent absorption and passivation characteristics of amorphous silicon. For the manufacturing of electric structures of heterojunction cells, dual-sided thin layers of doped and intrinsic, amorphous silicon as well as transparent, conductive oxide layers (TCO) are applied on an n-conductor silicon wafer for the consumption of the generated electricity. In addition, heterojunction cells have a significantly lower temperature coefficient than conventional silicon solar cells.

Due to the high luminous efficacy and the excellent passivation characteristics of amorphous silicon, it is possible to achieve particularly high degrees of efficiency.

High growth rates are projected for the market of heterojunction cells in the future.

SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES - Innovations for new technologies
SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES develops and builds innovative machines and systems for efficient and resource-saving production processes, which are used world-wide in the solar, semiconductor, medical technology, consumer goods and optical disc sectors.

The company's core competencies include the various processes of coating technology, surface treatment and wet-chemical as well as thermal production processes.

SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES AG, Hanauer Landstrasse 103,
D-63796 Kahl/Main, WKN A1681X / ISIN DE000A1681X5
Contacts:
Maren Schuster, Investor Relations, Tel.: + 49 (0) 160 9609 0279
Bernhard Krause, Corporate Communications, Tel.: + 49 (0) 1709202924
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