- Industrial application of the SCHOTT patented system saves 6 US cent/wafer and increases efficiency by 0.2%
- Problem-free integration in cell or module production lines
- Sales launch: May 2012

The SCHMID Group announces their sales launch of a production-ready system for the industrial application of tin busbars on 6" cells. Delivery of the first TinPad systems is planned for September.

Silver is a critical cost factor in cell production. Tests to replace this material on the backside by tin which is comparatively much cheaper, have up till now been unsuccessful due to its insufficient adhesion to aluminum. Using the SCHOTT patented technology it is now possible to produce completely silver-free backside contacts with a peel-off strength which is twice as high as required. By using tin instead of the conventional silver/aluminum paste, savings of 6 US cent per wafer are achieved, which makes amortization of the investment possible in 7-9 months.

At the same time this new backside architecture increases the cell efficiency by approx. 0.2%, because openings of the aluminum backside are no longer required for the busbars. The all-over back surface field thus increases the open circuit voltage which in turn boosts efficiency.

The first version of the TinPad system realizes a throughput of up to 2,880 wafers with an uptime of over 95% and is easy to integrate in existing cell production lines. Module manufacturers can also use this technology and thus increase their value chain.

Source: SCHMID Group | Gebr. SCHMID GmbH