engineering the solar age - Suppliers for Photovoltaics

Equipment for the solar industry

The RENA group is a leading company in the market segment of equipment for the wet chemical processing of solar cells. For the two main wet applications, texturing and junction isolation, the market share of the RENA products InTex and InOxSide is around 50%. The base for this success is the combination of reliable production equipment and proven process solutions. The range of solar technology products and services covers equipment and process solutions for the complete production chain of solar wafers, solar cells and thin-film technology.

Founded in 1993 in Gütenbach (Black Forest), this equipment manufacturing company is regarded as one of the world’s most groundbreaking companies in the field of wet process technology. Numerous patents and innovations, which enable solar wafers and solar cells to be processed more economically and effectively, have propelled RENA to the technological forefront in this industry. An international service and distribution network supports the customer-manufacturer partnership.

RENA equipment delivers maximum performance levels in the following sectors of photovoltaic production chains:

Solar wafer processing

The production proven WaSep is a high throughput wet wafer separation tool. The latest generation of the RENA WaSep series ensures reliable and stress-free, smooth wafer separation with a throughput of 3,000 wafers/h for a single station or 6,000 wafers/h for a double station. A wet ribbon separates the wafers directly out from a pre-cleaning wafer basket. A water transport system achieves wafer self-alignment. The integrated distribution system allocates the wafers into four lanes.

Units for the entire cleaning chain after sawing:

• PreWaClean  wafer pre-cleaning
• WaSep   wafer separation
• InWaClean  wafer cleaning
• VarioUnload   wafer transfer system
• MultiLifter   transport tool

Solar cell processing

Both inline and batch systems are available for all wet chemical process steps. In addition to texture applications (with a process warranty on the InTex or with IPA-free monoTEX on the BatchTex) RENA offers all wet process solutions necessary for state-of-the-art solar cell production.

One example is our InOxSide with integrated PSG removal and junction isolation. The InOx series ensures efficient removal of the PSG layer for high throughput solar cell production. The InOxSide tool performs PSG removal and junction isolation in one single tool, thus improving the process integration and workflow in the line. The junction isolation is performed by etching the rear side of the cells while leaving the front surface dry. The patented process not only leads to superior junction isolation performance, but also simplifies the production of passivated rear side cells by entirely removing the emitter from the rear side.

RENA front end product range:

• InTex   texturing for multi
• BatchTex   texturing for mono
• InOx   PSG removal
• InOxSide   PSG removal and junction isolation
• InOxSide EB   InOxSide and etch back
• InSiOx   single side oxide etching
• InPolish   single side polishing
• SelectDop LCP   nitride ablation and doping
• InCellPlate   single side electroplating

Thin-film

Core elements in the RENA thin-film portfolio are the coating and plating applications:

• PVGlassCoat   CdS coating
• PVFlexxCoat   CdS coating
• PVFlexxPlate   electroplating

All RENA equipment meets the stringent requirements demanded by PV producers because RENA is synonymous with process warranty, maximum yield, top quality and low CoO. The RENA product range covers all necessary wet chemical process steps.