Wet Etching Process Control with Advantech’s PPC-L157T

The Photovoltaic (PV) industry has been steadily growing in recent years. Direct power generation from solar energy by silicon based solar cells has initiated a revolution in green energy, and the production of silicon material and equipment is getting more and more attention these days. Kuttler Automation Systems, a leader of advanced equipment for the PV industry, established KSL-Kuttler in Suzhou, China in 2002 to do R&D for solar energy equipment in China. Standards set by Kuttler equipment have been readily adopted by all its competitors. Among the key products Kuttler produces are wet etching cleaning and wet etching isolation machines, used in the cleaning process of polycrystalline silicon cell production, and the etching process of poly-/mono-crystalline cells. The process is friendlier to the environment than previous techniques and it produces a smoother and better quality reflection rate. However, it requires very precise control in conveying speed and mixture ratios and careful monitoring of environmental conditions.

Project

Kuttler needed an industrial-grade, reliable system at its core, that could perform well in a challenging factory environment that involved hazardous chemicals. It needed to have accurate transmission speeds with high precision control ratios. The system had to be fully sealed for protection, and be able to operate 24 hours a day. Kuttler also identified the need for a customized control panel and he ability to expand the systems I/O components.

System
After analyzing Kuttler’s special requirements, Advantech recommended an OEM version of its PPC-157T Panel PC. The PPC-157T features a 15” color TFT LCD and Intel® Core™2 Duo processor with multimedia device support and variety of ports for scores of applications. The device is safe and reliable in industrial sites; it can control and display shop floor data outperforming other human interfaces with speedy information processing and networking functions. PPC-157T is IP65 certified for water and dust-proof protection, and it can resist vibration and impacts. With a compact structure that is completely sealed, the system can work non-stop in harsh environments. Advantech’s PPC-157T controls parameters of conveyer speed, temperature, concentration of liquid solution in each tank, surrounding ventilation, and liquid levels throughout Kuttler’s entire precision etching process. Advantech further customized the panel and I/O expansion modules to support specialized software used to gather and save production data, display operation steps via the COM port, and transmit data over Ethernet to the production/manufacturing execution system.

Conclusion

‧Effective control and reduction of chemicals
‧Production of different size wafers by a single machine
‧Modularized production line with powerful expansion capability
‧Comprehensive process monitoring system and visual operation interface
‧Optimized process for reduced labor intensity
‧Reduced fragmentation rate with highly reliable session
‧Cost-effective solution, customized to Kuttler’s exact needs

With the fast growth of the global PV industry and strong domestic policy support by government agencies, KSL-Kuttler is quickly expanding its production base of high-end solar energy equipment which is receiving praise for its value creation. Kuttler is also working with Advantech to deploy solutions in China, Taiwan, and Europe.

Suggested Application Implementation

PPC-157T Fanless 15" LCD Ultra Low Power Intel® Atom™ Panel PC