Title
Interview
Interview
Bjorn Dahle—KIC
Like many companies supplying the solar
manufacturing industry, KIC is a new
entrant. They bring a critical component
in the form of thermal profiling and process
optimization equipment that uniquely
characterizes the thermal signature of solar
cells as they go through the various curing
and baking stages of the manufacturing
process. Global Solar Technology spoke to
KIC’s president, Bjorn Dahle, about their
entry into the solar market.
What does KIC bring to the solar The clincher, however, is our process How does this translate into dollars?
industry and how will it support it? optimization software. This software, called One of the leading furnace manufacturers
KIC brings new technologies to the solar Spectrum, reviews every possible furnace has recently calculated that for a typical
cell manufacturers that help them better setup. It automatically selects the furnace modern production line, an increase in cell
manage their thermal processes and, as a zone temperatures and conveyor speed that efficiency of 1/10% equates to an increase
result, the efficiency of the solar cells. yields the most appropriate profile in the in revenue of $0.5 million per line per
sweet spot of the process window. year. Since virtually all of the other cost
How does the SunKIC contribute to factors stay the same, i.e. labor, equipment,
the increase in efficiency in solar cells? Has the recent economic downturn material, energy use, etc., the vast majority
It is almost universally accepted that had an influence in the drive for of that $0.5 million revenue gain is pure
when a solar cell is processed in the ‘sweet greater efficiency? profit.
spot’ of the thermal process window, the Ironically enough, the slowdown in the
efficiency of the cell increases. KIC has PV industry has had a positive effect on Homogeneous efficiency is an
developed three products that help achieve the interest in increasing cell efficiencies. important factor in cell production.
this. The first product seems mundane Until recently, the demand for solar cells How does the SunKIC help monitor
enough as it is simply a fixture that allows was greater than the supply and, hence, this?
the solar cell manufacturer to clip thermo- the manufacturers focused on increasing The SunKIC and Spectrum are used for
couples onto its own wafer. This fixture their production volume. While the supply the initial furnace optimization. Subse-
solves the industry challenge of reducing and demand move into balance, or even quently, they perform periodic checks
the significant ‘noise’ in a profile attributed possibly into oversupply, there is now more during the production runs.
to the TC attachment method. Secondly, emphasis put on efficiency as the cell price
our SunKIC profiler acquires an accurate is a function of its efficiency.
profile that can be analyzed in new ways.
28 – Global Solar Technology – November/December 2008 www.globalsolartechnology.com
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