Amtech Systems, Inc.
(NASDAQ:ASYS), a global supplier of production and automation systems and
related supplies for the manufacture of solar cells, today provided further
comment on the significance of its previously announced three-party research
collaboration agreement between Amtech's Tempress® Systems Inc, subsidiary,
Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited, one of the world's leading
vertically integrated photovoltaic product manufacturers, and the Energy Research
Centre of the Netherlands (“ECN”), a leading solar research center
in Europe.
The joint project under the agreement endeavors to develop and implement high
efficiency N-type silicon solar cells, named PANDA, at Yingli Green Energy's
pilot production line in Baoding, China. The high efficiency cells will utilize
the cell design of ECN, the solar diffusion technology and dry PSG removal expertise
of Tempress, Amtech's solar subsidiary, and Yingli Green Energy's
leading cell process technology.
The P-type silicon solar cell is the predominant solar cell used in today's
market. The advantage of N-type silicon solar cells is that, among other things,
unlike P-type silicon solar cells, there is virtually no sunlight induced efficiency
degradation, which makes it a highly desirable cell product. The typical effect
on efficiency from light induced degradation for P-type Czochralski (Cz) silicon
solar cells is 0.5 to 1.0%.
J.S. Whang, President and Chief Executive Officer of Amtech, commented, “We
are excited about this joint agreement with leaders in the industry and its
potential to contribute to significant improvements in solar cell efficiency
and bring solar energy closer to achieving grid parity. PANDA is true validation
for our Tempress in-depth diffusion expertise and our capability for supplying
reliable diffusion and automation equipment to the solar industry. Additionally,
a European independent research and consulting firm, Yole Development, concluded
that our Tempress® diffusion furnace had captured the number one position
in terms of market share, or over 35 percent of the solar diffusion market.”
Amtech Systems, Inc. manufactures capital equipment, including silicon wafer
handling automation, thermal processing equipment and related consumables used
in fabricating solar cells and semiconductor devices. Semiconductors, or semiconductor
chips, are fabricated on silicon wafer substrates, sliced from ingots, and are
part of the circuitry, or electronic components, of many products including
solar cells, computers, telecommunications devices, automotive products, consumer
goods, and industrial automation and control systems. The Company's wafer
handling, thermal processing and consumable products currently address the diffusion,
oxidation and deposition steps used in the fabrication of solar cells, semiconductors,
MEMS and the polishing of newly sliced silicon wafers.