Altatech launches new CVD system to deposit advanced materials needed in photovoltaic manufacturing

By performing all deposition processes within a single system, the new AltaCVD Solarlab tool reduces cycle times and materials consumption in fabricating advanced single-junction, tandem-junction and triple-junction PV cells.

Using the AltaCVD Solarlab, customers can deposit transparent conducting oxide films that deliver the superior optical characteristics, high doping mobility and smooth, defect-free surfaces needed to optimize efficiency of their solar cells.

“Extending our core CVD technology for use in solar cell development presents an additional market opportunity for us,” said Jean-Luc Delcarri, general manager of Soitec’s Altatech subsidiary. “Reducing the amount of material used in cells and improving photovoltaic conversion performance will be the keys to growth in the next few years. We look forward to continuing to apply our deposition expertise in both R&D and commercial applications for the renewable-energy industry.”

In creating its newest CVD system, Soitec’s Altatech subsidiary leveraged its patented chamber architecture and deposition technology, which enables the use of new precursor gases to achieve extremely high film uniformity and tightly controlled stoichiometry. These capabilities have been production-proven on the company’s AltaCVD platform, which has been used in both engineering and volume manufacturing of advanced semiconductor devices since 2008.

The AltaCVD Solarlab system has the versatility to perform standard thermal CVD processing as well as plasma-enhanced CVD and atomic-layer deposition. These processes can be run over a wide spectrum of temperatures, from 100° C to 800° C, to create photosensitive films that can maximize the efficiency of PV cells in converting sunlight to electricity. In addition, the system can handle a variety of substrates, including transparent glass and both round or square silicon wafers with thicknesses ranging from 150 microns to several centimeters.

Soitec plans to begin shipping AltaCVD Solarlab systems to customers by the end of this year.