Turn Key Systems

The Midsummer DUO Line is the most cost effective way to start CIGS solar cell manufacturing. The DUO Line is the heart of our production system. The Duo line is a sputter tool that deposits all the layers forming the finished cell.

Before loading the stainless steel substrates into the DUO we use a standard ultrasonic washer to clean the substrates. After the DUO we have a standard screen printer and oven for printing the contact grid, followed by a tester and sorter. We have evaluated and qualified 3rd party suppliers for these auxiliary functions, and we can provide you with a CIGS cell manufacturing turn-key line at a competitive investment cost. Contact us to learn more.

Manufacturing sequence of a Midsummer CIGS solar cell:

  • Substrates are manually unpacked and loaded into cassettes and into the Solar Cell Cleaning Equipment. 
  • After cleaning and drying, the cassettes are manually loaded into the Cassette Loading Station. The Cassette Loading Station sequentially feed the Duo Solar Cell Production System with substrates. 
  • The Duo Production system then sequentially deposit barrier and back contact material, heat the substrate to desired temperature for absorber deposition, deposit the absorber CIGS materials, cool the substrate and finally deposit the buffer- and top contact –materials. 
  • When exiting the Duo Production System the finished solar cell is loaded into the Cassette Unloading Station.
  • The cell cassette is then passed onto the Screen Printer where the cells are printed with a silver grid.
  • The cells are then automatically fed into the Screen Printer Oven.
  • After the screen print is dried, the cell is automatically fed into the Solar Cell Tester where it is finally inspected, characterized and sorted according to solar cell performance.

Before entering the Duo Production System the cell ID is recorded and stored into a Database. The sputter data for each sputter chamber is also recorded and finally matched with the performance of each cell measured by the Solar Cell Tester.

All the materials are deposited by sputtering, the most commonly used method for thin film deposition.

The Duo comes with a complete package of training, technology transfer and process transfer. This is to ensure that we can guarantee your performance.


Midsummer Duo System in the assembly hall