Nines Photovoltaics

Nines Photovoltaics is an Irish company established in 2010 that develops and supplies industrial dry etching technology for the photovoltaic solar cell manufacturing industry. Based in Dublin, they specialize in the ADE© Atmospheric Dry Etching process, which offers a low-cost, gas-phase solution for removing poly-silicon wrap around in advanced TOPCON and IBC cell architectures. Their technology aims to reduce environmental impact by eliminating water usage and greenhouse gas emissions compared to traditional wet etching methods.

The company's proprietary ADE© technology is described as a unique, low-cost, gas-phase etching process that does not require high-cost vacuum pumps or plasma modules. Unlike RIE (Reactive Ion Etching), this process is purely chemical with no ions involved, resulting in no water usage and a greenhouse gas that has no global warming potential. This makes it a future-proof solution for scalable industrial dry etching in the photovoltaic market.

Nines Photovoltaics targets solar cell manufacturers who need to adopt advanced cell architectures like TOPCON, TOPCON2, IBC, PERL, and perovskite. Their single-sided poly-silicon etching and selective patterning capabilities are specifically designed to meet the requirements of these upcoming solar cell technologies. They also offer a single-sided nano-texturing process to lower front surface reflectance and improve product yield for high-efficiency monocrystalline cells.

According to the company's website, the ADE process enables the removal of poly-silicon wrap around, selective etching, and patterning or edge isolation of solar cells. It also facilitates the deposition of perovskite layers for tandem solar cells through their advanced single-sided nano-texturing process. These features are critical for achieving higher efficiency and lower light angle dependence in modern photovoltaic manufacturing.

The company has a strong track record of partnerships with major research institutes, including Fraunhofer ISE, which has integrated ADE into their TOPCON cell developments. They have presented their selective etching solutions at international conferences such as EUPVSEC 2024 in Vienna and the SiPV conference in Chambery, France. These collaborations help validate their technology for high-throughput industrial production tools.

The company was founded in 2010 by Edward Duffy, who has extensive experience in semiconductor capital equipment since 1996. He previously worked as a Lead Engineer for Applied Materials and R&D engineering manager at Magnetic Solutions before founding Nines in 2007. The company operates as a sister company to Nines Engineering, which specializes in process and equipment services for OEMs and academic institutes.

The business is located at the Synergy Centre on the TU Dublin-Tallaght Campus in Dublin 24, D24 A386, Ireland. They can be reached via the phone number +353 1 531 0164 or the email address info at nines-pv.com. Their sister company, Nines Engineering, also operates from the same base and focuses on process and equipment services for the semiconductor industry.

Reviewers consistently highlight the seamless installation process and the professionalism of the team as key strengths. Many customers reported being extremely satisfied with the performance and quality of the panels, leading to a reduction in energy bills. The sales team is also frequently mentioned as friendly, knowledgeable, and supportive throughout the purchasing and installation journey.

The company has secured investment from InnoEnergy to support the development of a high-throughput industrial ADE production tool. They have also demonstrated 20.3% efficiency in mc-Si PERC cells and achieved a world record 21.9% efficiency for multicrystalline silicon solar cells with Fraunhofer ISE. These achievements highlight their commitment to advancing solar cell technology.

The company's website mentions that the etching gas used in the ADE process is not a greenhouse gas and has no global warming potential. This feature is part of their broader goal to reduce the environmental footprint of solar cell manufacturing. By using a purely chemical etch process, they avoid the need for water and reduce the overall environmental impact compared to traditional wet etching methods.

The company plans to attend and present their latest developments at the EUPVSEC 2024 conference in Vienna on Tuesday, September 24th, 2024. They also presented their selective etching solutions at the SiPV conference in Chambery, France, from September 15th to 19th, 2024. These events are key opportunities for them to showcase their latest innovations to the international photovoltaic community.

The company's website states that their ADE technology allows for a very low cost of ownership when compared to existing wet technologies. This is achieved through superior efficiencies, etch rates, tighter process control, and low power requirements in a very small package. These features are designed to help solar cell manufacturers reduce their costs while improving process control.

The company has a history of presenting at major international conferences, including PVSEC-26 in Singapore in 2016 and the 12th International conference on Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaics in Konstanz, Germany in 2022. They have also been featured in news articles discussing their role in achieving world record efficiencies for multicrystalline silicon solar cells. These presentations and publications demonstrate their active engagement in the global photovoltaic research and development community.

The official website of Nines Photovoltaics is nines-pv.com.

On Trustburn, Nines Photovoltaics has a rating of 4 out of 5 based on 9 reviews.