Von Ardenne - Eric Schneiderlöchner

High-Volume PVD Technology Options for High-Efficiency Silicon Solar Cells E. SCHNEIDERLÖCHNER, J. BAUMANN, M. DIMER, X. HUANCHAO, R. KÖHLER, V. LINß, D. RADACH, J. BRÜCKNER 13 Mar 2019 High-Volume PVD Technology Options1 A Few Words on VON ARDENNE GmbH OUTLINE 13 Mar 2019 High-Volume PVD Technology Options2 PVD Technologies in c-Si Solar Cell Manufacturing - Motivation Sputtering aSi for Passivated Contacts (TOPCon / POLO Cell Concepts) Summary Dry Processing of Perovskites is Completing Our Portfolio Sputtering Transparent Conductive Oxides (TCO) for SHJ Solar Cells FINANCIAL KPIS 2018 13 Mar 2019 High-Volume PVD Technology Options3 OPERATING FIGURES – VON ARDENNE GROUP Order Intake ~ € 280 m Revenue ~ € 250 m Operating Performance ~ € 270 m 650 patents worldwide ~ 1000 employees 400 Coating Systems installed in 50 countries Family-owned company based in Dresden OPEX VON ARDENNE‘S STRATEGIC PILLARS FOR THE PV-MARKET 13 Mar 2019 High-Volume PVD Technology Options4 Circular economy ▪ Uptime ▪ Reduction of consumables (Targets) ▪ Digitalization: from data storage to autonomous production Reduce Σ of costs over lifetime Increase Σ of electrical energy produced over lifetime CAPEX ▪ Scale ▪ Costs down ▪ Engineered in GER; made in CHN, BCC Increase of efficency Increase of global production footprint Develop recycleable modules avoiding chemicals Global demand A Few Words on VON ARDENNE GmbH OUTLINE 13 Mar 2019 High-Volume PVD Technology Options5 PVD Technologies in c-Si Solar Cell Manufacturing - Motivation Sputtering aSi for Passivated Contacts (TOPCon / POLO Cell Concepts) Summary Dry Processing of Perovskites is Completing Our Portfolio Sputtering Transparent Conductive Oxides (TCO) for SHJ Solar Cells WHY IS PVD INTERESTING FOR HIGH VOLUME PV MANUFACTURING ? 13 Mar 2019 High-Volume PVD Technology Options6 PVD processes are already being used in several high efficiency cell concepts DC-sputtering of TCOs for 23% SHJ solar cells Higher CoO in comp. to PERC Metal layers for IBC cells Perovskite/ Silicon Tandem Solar Cells Is a niche market today A Possible future market ? Sputtering or evaporation process technologies work with solid materials No need for toxic gases ! Sputtering is a robust and highly developed technology established in high throughput industries as architectural glass, display, or thin film PV Sputtering is easily scalable in width & hence equipment throughput High yield & uptime ! Potential of lowest CAPEX per wafer @8,000-10,000wph !! How To Improve Performance and Reduce Cost of SHJ ? The Go-to Option for Passivated Contacts ?? ROTATABLE MAGNETRON SPUTTERING FOR TCO LAYERS 13 Mar 2019 High-Volume PVD Technology Options7 Glowing plasma inside TCO Coating System • VA soft process allows for 23 % SHJ solar cells with VOC 740 mV • Thickness homogeneity 80 % • Standard campaign time 14 days • Front & rear side deposition in one tool VON ARDENNE owns a mature & very robust technology enabling soft deposition conditions and hence high efficient SHJ solar cellsStatus: ADRESSING OPEX - TCO QUALITY & TARGET COST 13 Mar 2019 High-Volume PVD Technology Options8 VON ARDENNE Process Of Record (POR), 100nm ITO deposited on glass POR Layer Thickness ITO [nm] Sheet esistance [Ω/sq] Charge Carrier Density [cm-3] Mobility [cm2 / V*s] 2018 100 40 2.7 E20 59 Release Q2/19 100 52 1.5 E20 87 heated process (50 nm ? Uniformity (thickness, doping) No need to use toxic gases Passivation quality ? Series Resistance ? Tool productivity ? Ease of cell process integration 23% p-type solar cell proof of concept by ANU (A.Cuevas, D. Yan et. al. Silicon Solar Cells by DESIJN (Deposited Silicon Junctions), 10.4229/35thEUPVSEC2018-2BP.1.5) VA-Development has just started in 2018 PASSIVATED CONTACTS - PROOF OF CONCEPT WITH INTRINSIC aSi 13 Mar 2019 High-Volume PVD Technology Options14 - Cooperation with International Solar Center Konstanz - Sputtered 100nm thick aSi films on wet chemically grown SiO2 (1-2nm) - Ex-situ doping with POCl3 diffusion  n-doped polySi - Hydrogenation with 70nm PECVD SiN - Lifetime measured at several processing stages using QSSPC iVoc test structure used - 10x10cm symmetrical life time samples - N-type, 3-10 Ωcm n-Si Wafer 100nm sputtered aSi 100nm sputtered aSi SiN SiN PASSIVATED CONTACTS - PROOF OF CONCEPT WITH INTRINSIC aSi 13 Mar 2019 High-Volume PVD Technology Options15 variation of sputter process Jan Hoß et. al., Sputtering of Silicon Thin Films for Passivated Contacts, ISC Konstanz & VON ARDENNE, to be published at SiliconPV 2019, S2-13 *735mV First Results from our lab equipment - Initial test runs achieved iVOC values 730mV after hydrogenation - Process optimization lead to iVOC = 735mV after firing - No blistering present ✓ ✓ Transfer to industrial like inline tool - iVoc 700mV at a dynamic deposition rate of 70nm*m/min ✓  Cooperation with Fraunhofer ISE  10 Ωcm n-type FZ, untextured with thermally grown SiO2  Sputtered 50nm, B-doped aSi layers at different process conditions on either side  Activation of passivation at different annealing temperatures (850 – 950 °C) RESULTS: IN-SITU DOPED P-TYPE SiO2 / aSi PASSIVATED CONTACTS 13 Mar 2019 High-Volume PVD Technology Options16  Improved activation for higher Tanneal (similar trend as for PECVD aSi)  After hydrogenation by PECVD SiNx: iVOC = 700 mV  Lowest Sheet resistance so far is ~200 Ω/sq  needs optimization  Further process optimization is already in the works !! WHAT ABOUT TOOL PRODUCTIVITY AND CAPEX ? 13 Mar 2019 High-Volume PVD Technology Options17 XEA|nova platform for inline TCO sputtering  Designed for reliable & high- throughput processing (3,600 – 5,500wph)  configurable for different layer stacks using sputter up or sputter down  Optional pre-heat/ pre-Ion cleaning in load-lock chamber  Rotatable or planar targets  Optimized for long sputtering campaigns 14 days Front TCO layer Rear TCO layer Cooling and Gas Separation if needed GC330H TOOL PLATFORM FOR ARCHITECTURAL GLASS COATING 13 Mar 2019 High-Volume PVD Technology Options18 Key Performance Indicators - Substrate size 3.3 x 6.0 m - Line speed 10 m/min - Net output 15 Mio m²/year - Uptime ≥ 94% - MTBF ≥ 8 weeks - Layer thickness uniformity up to ≤ ±0.5% FROM SMALL TOOLS TO HIGH-VOLUME EQUIPMENT FOR CRYSTALLINE PV 13 Mar 2019 High-Volume PVD Technology Options19 CAPEX down to 1$Ct/wafer feasible Scalability is Productivity SCALA PilotX XEA|nova® 5.5 XEA|nova® 8.0 XEA|nova® 10.0 WHY USE A aSi-SPUTTER PROCESS FOR PASSIVATED CONTACTS ? 13 Mar 2019 High-Volume PVD Technology Options20 LPCVD PECVD PVD One-sideness of deposition Blisterfree poly-Si 50 nm ? Uniformity (thickness, doping) No need to use toxic gases Passivation quality ? Series Resistance ? Tool productivity ? Ease of cell process integration 23% p-type solar cell proof of concept by ANU (A.Cuevas, D. Yan et. al. Silicon Solar Cells by DESIJN (Deposited Silicon Junctions), 10.4229/35thEUPVSEC2018-2BP.1.5) VA-Development has just started in 2018 So far good development progress First solar cell results expected for Q2-2019 Challenge Linear Evaporation Source for Perovskite Solar Cells 13 Mar 2019 High-Volume PVD Technology Options21 • Perovskite absorber or carrier extraction material is vaporized by primary evaporator • Nearly static pressure in nozzle pipe causes homogeneous outlet of vapor through nozzles • Evaporation source can be mounted in any orientation  vapor up or down inline or roll to roll is possible • Co-evaporation to combine different materials if needed VON ARDENNE’S LINEAR EVAPORATION SOURCE 13 Mar 2019 High-Volume PVD Technology Options22 nozzles nozzle pipe (heated) rate nozzle QCMsubstrate primary evaporator (heated, up to 800°C) crucible can be removed for refill SCALA FOR INLINE EVAPORATION OF PEROVSKITE MATERIALS VON ARDENNE solution for R&D: The modular SCALA platform • PVD Target slots replaced by jet stream evaporation source • Carrier size 3 x 3 M2 or M4 wafers • Manual or automated loading • Deposition of perovskites and hole- extraction/ contact layers • TCO PVD integration in second chamber possible or separate system Deposition chamber equipped with jet stream evaporator Pump down / heating Note: Only a schematic drawing, configuration can be changed acc. to customer needs and technical progress. 13 Mar 2019 High-Volume PVD Technology Options23 SUMMARY 13 Mar 2019 High-Volume PVD Technology Options24 VON ARDENNE Family owned, globaly present vacuum equipment manufacturer with 40 years of experience, specialized in high quality PVD technologies for SHJ Solar Cells Working towards industrialization of TCO films with very low absorption and mobility of 90 cm²/Vs for TOPCon Solar Cells Sputtering high quality (iVOC 730mV), in-situ doped & blister free aSilayers could enable low cost passivated contacts in the near future High-Volume Manufacturing Magnetron Sputtering is a highly scalable technology allowing for wafer throughput up to 10,000wph or more  CAPEX of 1$Ct/wafer for Perovskite Solar Cells A linear processing source for the evaporation of organic materials has been developed and is available on a flexible R&D tool platform 13 Mar 2019 High-Volume PVD Technology Options25 Thank you for your kind attention!