Solar Cell Surface Inspection With 3D Metrology

If you have troubles viewing please refer to: ►JUL NEWSLETTER

NEWSLETTER | July 2009

COMPANY______________________________________________________________________

Nanovea would like to wish you all a happy a safe summer! Currently we are working on many projects to showcase Nanovea's superior ability to assist with the growing need of measurement solutions in renewable energy industries. Also, stay tuned for the official release of the New Tribometer and other developing stories. At anytime please let us know how we can improve our newsletter. info@nanovea.com

NEWS__________________________________________________________________________

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Photovoltaic Demand Highlights Nanovea Profilometers Superior Capabilities

Irvine CA, July 08, 2009 – As demand increases for reliable measurement solutions of solar cell and photovoltaic surfaces; challenges began to arise. The most significant challenge being that solar cell materials absorb light, therefore light based Profilometers are useless and a stylus must be used as a result—wrong. Fortunately, Nanovea has been providing White Light Profilometers capable of this very task for years. For those who rely on stylus measurements its time to consider evolving from using prehistoric surface measurements.

Unlike the others, Nanovea’s White Light 3D Non-Contact Profilometers can precisely measure glass surfaces, light absorbing materials and wafer bowing with superior accuracy and speed. Offered as a stand alone instrument or an integrated inline inspection system ideal for inspection at all stages during solar cell production. Measurement capabilities are flexible enough to provide accuracies to measure glass roughness less than 10nm, photovoltaic roughness in the micrometer range, trace heights typically in the 10’s of micrometers and a broad range to measure wafer bowing which could be larger than 1mm. No other Profilometer is capable of matching the precision, speed and broad application use of Nanovea’s Profilometers; now add solar production efficient to the list.

All Nanovea Profilometers use the same Technique and Software. Nanovea PRVision is also an option on most Profilometers for auto pattern recognition. Profilometers speeds range from 20mm/s to 1m/s for laboratory or research to the needs of hi-speed inspection. Nanovea Profilometers can be built with custom size, speeds, scanning capabilities, Class 1 Clean Room compliance and with Indexing Conveyor. “We are very pleased with the opportunity that the Photovoltaic industry has given to our Profilometer business. We have always been very proud of our technique and this really spotlights what we’ve known for a while now.” Craig Liesing Product Manager.

LABORATORY___________________________________________________________________

Examples of what we tested this month:

Mechanical:
• Fiber optic scratch marking
• Paint marring ASTM D7187
• Scratch DLC Coating
• Hardness & elastic modulus of steel and its effect on vibration levels
3D Non-Contact Metrology:
• Roughness of tablets
• Surface area of machined surface
• Roughness of composite material
• Photovoltaic wafer surface inspection
• Fresnel lens topography
• Wafer via depth
• Solar cell glass roughness
Tribology:
• Bulk material wear resistance
• Medical implant wear
• Bond pad wear/friction

APPLICATION NOTES____________________________________________________________

THIS MONTH:

►Solar Cell Surface Inspection With 3D Metrology

                Photovaltaic Testing                            3D Photovaltaic Testing



PREVIOUS MONTHS:

►Battery Contact Wear Loss With 3D Metrology

►Hardness of Bulk Materials With Instrumented Indentation

►Aspheric Lens Topography With 3D Non-Contact Metrology

►Wear Resistance Analysis With Tribometer Friction Measurements

►Quality Control Comparison of Tablet Roughness

►Wear Rate Analysis Using Tribology & 3D Metrology

►Scratch Resistance of Bulk Materials

►Topography & Roughness Study of Various Sandpaper Grits

►Characterization of One-Dimensional Micro Lens Array

►Adhesion Properties of Compact Disc Coatings

TRADESHOWS__________________________________________________________________

COMING MONTHS:

►MS&T Pittsburgh, PA - October 25-29

►MRS Boston, MA - November 30-December 4

Contact our office for ►complimentary passes to any of our shows