Solar Awards Thin Film Innovation Award Final DR 2/9/09 15:38 Page 25
SOLAR AWARDS
Thin Film Innovation Award
4JET Sales Service
process validation module and are cleaned before they are shipped to
GmbH
mechanical brushing systems. customers and are protected by a double
layer of plastic. The first layer is removed
INLINE System Through the cooperation with just outside the cleanroom to prevent any
Maschinenbau GEROLD GmbH, 4JET can contaminants from entering. The second
The INLINE system can be equipped with also offer material handling and layer of plastic is removed inside the
several laser technologies and allows full automation solutions. The modular design cleanroom to ensure compliance with
area processing of the entire surface of a of the INLINE also allows integration of strict cleanliness specifications.
solar panel. Applications include edge marking lasers that either engrave into the
deletion, selective perforation, P4 isolation glass or create an inverted mark by Certification was undertaken by The
scribes as well as marking or drilling of ablation of the coating. It is also possible Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing
glass. to integrate a glass drilling system. Engineering and Automation IPA in
Stuttgart. They rigorously tested the six-
The unit is a co-development of 4JET and axis articulated robot over a period of
Maschinenbau GEROLD GmbH. The unit seven weeks and included evaluation and
is suitable to process all standard panel compilation of all relevant documents.
sizes including G8 formats with 2600 x The primary objective was to evaluate the
2200mm dimensions. Glass panels are IRB 6640’s clean-room suitability and
pre-centred and their position is surface cleanliness attributes. The
25
measured precisely. evaluation was done in accordance with
relevant specifications from VDI (Vercin
www
4JET’s dynamic ABC (Automatic Beam
ABB
Deutscher Ingenieure).
.solar
Control) beam delivery system enables IRB6640 Robot
compensation of glass warpage and size
-pv-management.com
tolerances of the panels. Depending on ABB’s IRB6640 cleanroom robot is
the application, the units are equipped designed to help the thin-film photovoltaic
with diode-pumped solid-state or fibre sector to improve productivity by lowering
lasers. 4JET supplies customer- and manufacturing costs, while at the same
application-specific process technology time raising production output. The
and integrates a turnkey solution. cleanroom version of the IRB6640 meets
all necessary process and cleanroom
Air Liquide - Balazs
Issue IV 2009
Several modules can be installed specifications for the thin-film photovoltaic
NanoAnalysis
sequentially, depending on the required industry, according to ABB.
throughput. The 4JET design allows full Photovoltaic Thin Film Analysis by
area processing of the entire panel ABB’s cleanroom robots have three paint Non-Traditional Methods
surface and allows programming of each layers: a prime coat, a white paint layer
individual edge width depending on the and a clear top coat. Screws and Fuhe Li has developed analytical
glass tolerance. The INLINE platform also inspection panels are covered with plastic metrology techniques to analyze PV Thin
enables performing a cost-efficient P4 prior to painting, which is subsequently Films, both in terms of depth profiles as
isolation cut that generates a sharp edged removed when the paint dries. Some well as contamination within the thin film.
groove between the active area of the screws and panels are then protected Utilizing Glow Discharge – Optical
solar panel and the edge. again using removable covers, which Emission Spectroscoy (GD-OES),
facilitates cleaning. Inspection panels are analysis can be performed on silicon,
Using an INLINE system with 532nm not painted. Some of the cables are CdTe, CdS, and CIGS films as well as
and/or 1064nm wavelength eliminates the installed in an enclosed cable carrier, sputter targets and glass substrates.
need for an isolation cut in the more which enables them to be properly Analysis of not only metallic elements, but
expensive P3 scribing systems. transported and at the same time also, C, N, and O allows a wide range of
prevents worn areas - even those that are contaminants to be detected.
The INLINE series is offered with different not visible - from being exposed. Any
optional processes, including a newly areas that could potentially cause A particular advantage of GD-OES for PV
developed process to expose contamination are sealed at the factory thin films is that there is no near-surface
molybdenum on CIGS solar panels, a using metal plates. The cleanroom robots charging that takes place as with ion or
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