Fraunhofer Institute orders AIXTRON 300mm MOCVD tool for III-V-Si Solar Cells
Aachen/Germany, June 3, 2008
Source: Aixtron AG press release
http://www.aixtron.com/index.php?id=312
AIXTRON AG announced today an order from the Fraunhofer Institut für Solare Energiesysteme (Fraunhofer ISE) for a 300mm Close Coupled Showerhead CRIUS epitaxy reactor. Fraunhofer ISE, located in Freiburg, Germany, will use the system for the research and development of GaAs-based multi-junction solar cells on Si. “Within the scope of the BMBF project “III-V-Si” we will receive AIXTRON’s Close Coupled Showerhead system,” said Dr. Frank Dimroth, head of the III-V-Epitaxy and Solar Cells group.
“Fraunhofer ISE operates an AIX 2600G3 Planetary Reactor for more than 10 years and has achieved excellent results on this tool. Now we would like to start a second development pathway focussing on single large wafer processes on Si. We have been working with AIXTRON and closely monitored the evolution of growth technology for the preparation of compound semiconductor thin films on silicon wafers. This is a challenging task but we are confident that the CRIUS tool will meet our requirements of low memory effect, high uniformity and throughput with the requisite economics for solar cell production.”
The CRIUS CCS system is well matched to the new project. Recently AIXTRON made its first sale of it in 300mm configuration for III/V lasers on silicon. It has also demonstrated the versatility and capacity essential for solar cell development and production – as well as other applications. The growth of III/V compound semiconductors on commercially available silicon wafers has become an area of major interest for higher performance terrestrial solar cells. It brings together the high performance of compounds with the large area and therefore better economics of silicon wafers.
Fraunhofer ISE is an institute of the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft (FhG), Germany. FhG conducts application-oriented basic research und contract research in many fields of applied science. Fraunhofer ISE addresses business areas including: buildings and technical building services; optical components and systems; solar cells; off-grid power supply; grid-connected renewable energy generation; and hydrogen technology.