Greentech Lead America: Natcore Technology, a provider of
solar energy sells, has commissioned the construction of an upgraded AR-Box
solar cell processing station that will include black silicon capability.
Like the original AR-Box, this second-generation
device will be manufactured by MicroTech Systems of Fremont, CA, a
12-year-old Silicon Valley company that designs and manufactures wet-bench
manufacturing equipment for solar, LED, semiconductor, biomedical, data storage
and other high technology applications.
Although Natcore has negotiated a Chinese joint venture
that is intended to provide AR-Box equipment for the Chinese market, Natcore
chose to produce this new machine in the United States.
Under the terms of Natcore’s agreement, MicroTech will
also be licensed to sell AR-Box equipment to North American solar cell
manufacturers.
“We decided to produce it here because of MicroTech’s
proven expertise. They should be able to complete the re-engineering and other
improvements with reliability and speed,” saysChuck Provini, Natcore’s
President and CEO. “Speed is particularly important, because as soon as we
can put these machines into manufacturers’ hands we can turn on the faucets of
chemical sales and royalty revenues.”
Similar to the first-generation AR-Box, the new machine
will be semi-automated. But unlike the first AR-Box, this second-generation
processing station will be designed to produce black silicon solar cell wafers
in a pilot line role in existing solar cell manufacturing facilities.
Natcore expects that the new AR-Box will be completed in
the first quarter of 2013. Pending a successful testing outcome, Natcore then hopes
to sell the machine to its first customer. Natcore remains in close contact
with potential customers as it refines the capabilities of its recently
developed black silicon solar cells.
On October 25, 2012, Natcore announced that its
scientists have created the world’s first black silicon solar cell using
processes amenable to low-cost mass production. The company’s technical staff
continues to refine the production process and improve the performance of its
black silicon cells.
Natcore believes that the projected higher energy output
of black silicon solar cells, combined with their lower production cost using
the Company’s technology, could quickly make black silicon the global solar
technology of choice.