Solar energy production has received a great deal of attention in recent times. With increasing petroleum prices, what is known as “grid parity” seems to be getting closer. Grid parity is an expression for the price level at which solar energy generation equals the cost of conventional energy generation. Some countries with Germany in a leading position now regulate the price of feeding solar power into the electric power grid. As a result, local solar panel manufacturers have received a head start in the fast-growing global solar panel tools market.

Some of the main players in the semiconductor tools market have recognized that the current downturn in key markets can be balanced by entering into the solar panel tool market. These companies bring their ability to industrialize production tools into the arena, thus challenging the pioneers of the solar panel market. With this development, new solar cell technologies are emerging which create a new optimum of cell efficiency and price per square meter, so that the price per watt hour is rapidly decreasing.

The vast majority of these new solar cell technologies are based on vacuum technology. However, demand and requirements for the components differ considerably from those used by the semiconductor industry. For transfer valves used to load and connect process chambers, the difference lies in the sizes of the panels (up to 3000 mm), and their robustness with regard to aggressive gases, contamination and high temperatures.

The “SolVAT” – A new transfer valve tailored to the solar cell industry

As the leading company in vacuum valves, VAT has made considerable investments in the development of a series of transfer valves tailored to the requirements of the most advanced solar panel manufacturing tools.

The SolVAT transfer valve, available in different slit sizes (height 45 - 150 mm, length 1000 - 3000 mm), aluminium or stainless steel body, shaft-sealed or bellows sealed actuator, is ideal for solar cell manufac turing applications. Furthermore, the valve is resistant to differential pressure in both directions, and O-ring materials other than VITON (which is the standard) can be provided.

VAT has developed a transfer valve line, the SolVAT, tailored to the particular needs of solar cell manufacturers.

SolVAT DN 45 x 1450 mm

The first SolVAT valves are already in the field, and the feedback received from the companies testing them has been absolutely positive. VAT believes it has complemented its large transfer valve product line with a further successful product.