NINES PV Drives New Wave Of PV Cell Production
Irish equipment and process development firm Nines PV has secured €3 million in new funding to help bring its novel, universal etching/texturing process for solar PV manufacturing to market.
ADE (Atmospheric Dry Etching) is the latest innovation from Nines and is an enabler for many cost lowering initiatives sought by solar PV companies.
The €3 million investment from InnoEnergy supports the development of a high throughput industrial ADE production tool that is planned to be installed with PV manufacturer Hanwha Q CELLS in early 2019.
The pilot tool will be installed at the Hanwha Q CELLS Headquarters for Technology and Innovation in Thalheim, Germany. Nines PV has started a new collaboration with machine builder, NTS from Eindhoven in Holland.
The ADE texturing process developed by NINES PV is a universal texturing process that can texture any type of crystalline wafer and allows seamless switch of wafer supply lines. NINES PV say adopting ADE will remove any uncertainty regarding upcoming technology changes. It suits multi and mono crystalline wafer, p or n-type, as well as cast wafers and diamond wire cut wafers, without any change of chemicals. Its single sided nature makes it complement of PERC cell architecture, simplifying the overall process.
"Together with the productization expertise and manufacturing capabilities of NTS, and the ongoing PV cell processing support from long-time collaborator Fraunhofer ISE we believe Nines will be ready to play a major role in the upcoming new wave of PV cell production expansions"- Nines PV CEO -Edward Duffy
Nines is planning to rollout this new high throughput industrial tool product; ADE6000 through 2019 and beyond.