A subsidiary of Arizona-based Amtech Systems
has received an 800 MW order for its solar power diffusion system. The
subsidiary is Tempress Solutions, which is located in the Netherlands.
The order was placed by a Chinese solar company, but it was not identified. Apparently, it is a leading manufacturer in China (as would be expected from an 800 MW order).
Amtech’s technology is used in the fabrication of solar
cells, silicon wafers, and semiconductors. “We are very pleased that
our fully integrated, automated, new system platform, including the
state-of-the-art HD process, is fully qualified and accepted in the
industry at a very critical phase of new selective expansions. This new
HD-POCI3 process has demonstrated significantly lower cost of ownership
than competing technologies and is providing important benefits to our
customers,” said Amtech CEO Fokko Pentinga.
In January 2015, Amtech received millions of dollars worth of orders from companies in China and Japan. New orders appear to be related to manufacturers experiencing some expansion. The website PVeducation has some explanatory content about the diffusion process.
It may not be exactly what the Tempress equipment does because the
technology is probably at least somewhat different, but it may be
relevant.
The Amtech Group is based in Tempe, AZ, but has six subsidiaries —
two are in the Netherlands. One is Tempress Systems and it makes
diffusion and deposition equipment. Tempress has shipped 25 GW of diffusion furnace systems for solar-related technology. The other one in the Netherlands is called SoLayTec, which makes and services spatial atomic layer deposition equipment.
Amtech was founded in 1981 and is traded using the symbol, ASYS. News articles about the companies that support the solar industry
aren’t at all likely to make the nightly news, but they are just as
important as the “cool” stories that are more consumer friendly. They
indicate the solar power industry seems to be stabilizing in some ways,
and that there are good things going on within the manufacturing side.
http://cleantechnica.com/2015/05/27/800-mw-amtechs-solar-power-diffusion-tech-ordered-chinese-solar-company/