Linde Gases has signed a term supply agreement with Schüco TF, one of Germany’s leading manufacturers of thin-film silicon photovoltaics (PV) modules, for the supply of on-site fluorine (F2) technology.
Based on the agreement, Linde Gases will supply on-site F2 to Schüco TF’s new production site in Großröhrsdorf, Germany. This is the second production scale implementation of Linde’s on-site fluorine technology on the Schüco TF’s manufacturing location.
In addition, Linde will build a large-scale electronics F2 production facility in Europe. The facility will help to fully eliminate the use of nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) from Schüco TF’s manufacturing process. NF3 is a greenhouse gas that has a global warming potential of 17,200 times higher than carbon dioxide (CO2). Linde will help the German-based PV module manufacturer to reduce its plant emissions by 103,200 t of CO2 per year.
NF3 has the environmental impact and its usage could be restricted by potential legislation. Hence, several manufactures started using on-site F2 as a highly energy-efficient and productive alternative to NF3 to clean plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) chambers for TFT-LCD and PV production.
The implementation of on-site F2 at Schüco TF’s new production site will enhance solar module production and boost profitability by increasing throughput and decreasing non-productive cleaning time. Thus, the carbon payback time is minimized by nearly one year. Schüco TF’s General Manager for Photovoltaics, Prof. Dr. Stiebig noted that the new contract with Linde offers three major benefits to them: increase the efficiency of the solar module production plant, reduction in cost and decrease the environmental impact while manufacturing thin-film solar panels.
Source: http://www.linde.com/