J donnellykla tencor

Critical Considerations for Metrology and Inspection in Solar Manufacturing Jeff Donnelly, Group VP - Growth & Emerging Markets July 2011

Outline

Process Control in Manufacturing Solar PV Trends Benefits of Automated Process Control Summary

2

How Do We “Really” Get Defects Down?

3

Process Control: Across Multiple Industries Fertilizer Optimization for Corn Yield

“Zero Defect” in Automotive Chip Manufacturing

Parts

Engine ECU

Car

(1200 parts) ・・ ・・ ・・

Even if 1 ppm part defect

1200ppm Engine ECU defect

120 cars defective out of 100,000 car

Z.D. ( Zero Defect ) is needed

4

KLA-Tencor Global leader in yield acceleration since 1976  Installed base ~21,000 tools  > 5,300 employees  ~ 3,400 technical personnel in 17 countries  #1 Market Share in Process Control for 35 years  >$1.5B R&D investments over last 4 years  FY 2010 revenue: >$1.8B, ~>$3B for FY’11

KLA-Tencor Markets

Wafer 5

IC Fab

Reticle

Solar

LED

Service/Apps

PV Capacity Forecast GW

 Overall CAGR expected to be 24% from 2010 -2015  Asia to dominate capacity  By 2015, Asia will account more than 75 % of total capacity, with China having the largest installed capacity

Source: Goldman Sachs 6

Multiple Competing Technologies c-Si to maintain dominance.

100%

6% 1% 6%

90%

6%

80%

6% 1% 8% 7%

8% 2%

9% 2%

12%

10%

7%

6%

9%

9%

8%

4%

5%

7%

13%

13%

4%

5%

11% 4%

70% 60% 50% 81%

40%

77%

71%

74%

73%

69%

67%

2009

2010E

2011E

2012E

2013E

30% 20% 10% 0% 2007 Source: GTM Research

7

2008 Crystalline Si

Super Mono c-Si

CdTe

CIGS

a-Si

Goal is to Achieve Grid Parity

Average retail power price ($/kWh)

GRID PARITY

2010E

2014E

Average insolation (Kwh^2/day) Source: Goldman Sachs

8

3 Levers to Improve Cost/Watt  Efficiency  Thickness  Kerf loss

 High volume production  Reduce unit costs 22% price decrease when doubling module production volume

Scaling 21%

Productivity 25%  Yield increase  Manufacturing excellence  Standardization 1% yield increase 

~5% cost reduction cell manufacturing Source : Q.Cells 9

1% efficiency increase  ~15% cost reduction cell manufacturing

Technology 54%

20µ thinner wafer  ~7% cost reduction cell manufacturing

Process Control in a Solar Cell Fab Enables All 3 Levers BARE WAFER TEST  Optical  µ-cracks  TTV & Rs  Lifetime  Surface roughness

LIFETIME TEXTURE INSPECTION Inline µ-PCD lifetime  Off-line reflectivity measurement SHEET RESISTANCE  Weighing for etch check Inline sheet resistance

Chemical etching & texturization

Classification

ELECTRICAL TEST  In-line characterization of cell efficiency & class analysis  Shunt inspection

10

POCl3 diffusion

Co-Firing

µ-crack on Finished Cell camera, ultrasonic, stability CELL CLASSIFICATION (FS & BS) Inline camera systems

EDGE ISOLATION TEST Offline edge isolation test

P-glass removal

Backside printing

ARC-CONTROL Inline camera system

Silicon nitride ARC

Frontside printing

PRINT-INSPECTION (FS & BS)  Inline camera systems  Weighing to check added metal weight

Process Control Improves Learning Curve and Enables Capacity Potential Post-Coating Inspection: AOI Allows Faster Learning & Capacity Ramp

Small Reduction in output can lead to substantial $ loss

Cell Position y

LINE 1

Cell Position y

LINE 2

Cell Position x

Data Collection & Aggregation makes Fast Root-Cause Analysis Possible.

11

Assumptions: ASP = $4/cell, 1200 UPH/30MW

Process Control Improves Learning Curve and Enables Capacity Potential Statistically Understand Yield Issues to Learn Fast & Ramp Fast

Small Reduction in output can lead to substantial $ loss

 In high volume production understanding cause of systematic defects is critical 

An integrated hardware and software solution enables quick understanding of root cause of systematic defects Assumptions: ASP = $4/cell, 1200 UPH/30MW

12

Process Control for Improved Cell Efficiency Parametric Monitoring to Understand Efficiency Improvement Opportunities Finger Width

Efficiency Improvement Adds Substantial Revenue

Screen Changed

Time

Efficiency

16%

Entitlement Ρ

0.3% Improvement

Time 13

Assumptions: Cell ASP = $1/watt, Nominal 17% -efficiency capacity operating at average 16% production efficiency.

Process Control can Accelerate Innovation Selective Emitter

Metal Double Printing

Metal Wrap-thru

Emitter Wrap-thru

Inter digitated Backside Contact

Hetero Junction

14

Process Monitoring Enables Higher Yield color & coating thickness

saw mark chipping

Chemical etching & texturisation

Âľcrack

POCl3 diffusion

Classification

Co-Firing

Alu paste defect

Silicon nitride ARC

Backside printing

busbar defect blister

15

P-glass removal

Frontside Printing

finger knot

finger interrupt

KLA-Tencor Solutions for Process Control in a Solar PV Fab P6 / P16+ Profiler

Step Height Standards

Chemical etching & texturisation PVI-6 Wafer Inspection Âľcrack Inspection

POCl3 diffusion

P-glass removal

Silicon nitride ARC

Step Height Standards

Classification

Solar Reference Cells & Cert. Services PVI-6 Front & Backside Classifier 16

Silicon Nitride Standards

Resistivity Standards

Co-Firing

Fab Vision

Backside printing

PVI-6 Front & Backside Print Inspection

Frontside printing Aluminum

Thickness Standards

Thin Film PV Inspection Post Deposition Inspection

Final Quality after back end

Flasher test

I-V curve tracer Structuring Layer deposition

Structuring Chemical step

Incoming Substrate Quality

Layer deposition

Solar module

Structuring

Back end processing I-V curve tracer

Layer deposition Incoming quality

Structuring P3 Deposition front / backside contact Structuring P2 (Chemical steps) Depostion layer Structuring P1 Deposition front / backside contact Cleaning Backside glass

17

End of Line Electrical Test

Future Process Control Requirements for Further Price/Watt Decrease  Central control of all metrology tools (recipe, calibration, reference sets, etc.)

 Introduction of wafer & cell tracking  Integrated quality system for real-time process control 18

 Introduction of wafer & cell tracking  High resolution inspection & metrology

Summary: Benefits From Process Control Improved Performance and Lower Costs

Improved Production Entitlement: Highest, Stable Yields Quickly Identify and Solve

 Reduce cycle time  Increase process tool productivity

Yield Excursions

Faster Ramp: Yield

 Maximize production efficiency

Quickly Identify and Solve Key Yield Issues

 Reduce material at risk  Detect and fix process issues earlier Faster Development: Understand requirements, Resolve gaps, Optimize Strategy

 Reduce field failures  Improve traceability

 Accelerate time-to-market

Months

KLA-Tencor contributes directly to lowering Cost/Watt and improving performance (yield) 19

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