Partner of choice
Linde’s commitment to clean energy and its global gas and engineering capabilities make it the materials technology partner of choice for solar-cell manufacturers on any scale and in any location. Our technologies and solutions help photovoltaic manufacturers move beyond grid parity to green parity and reduce cost per watt through innovative gas and chemical technologies.
Linde's offer includes:
An extended product portfolio, a response to the needs of our customers, and a solid supply chain with the ability to deliver our products to any place in the world
Strong gas engineering competence and chemical delivery systems at the customer site
- Support for technology development with a know-how developed over many years in the photovoltaic industry and through working with several different partners such as equipment manufacturers and end users
Portfolio and supply chain
As a global gas and material supplier, Linde leverages its global reach to offer the full range of gas and chemical products to support all crystalline silicon cell manufacturing processes. This includes:
Materials we offer for crystalline silicon cell manufacturing are the following:
| Bulk gases | Electronic special gases |
| Nitrogen | Silane |
| Hydrogen | Ammonia |
| Helium | Fluorine (on-site generation) |
| Oxygen | Sulphur hexafluoride |
| Argon | Chlorine Carbon tetrafluoride Arsine and phosphine mixtures |
Exact requirements vary depending on the process and manufacturing region.
Linde has gathered incomparable expertise in a global supply chain over the years and is able to deliver products to any place in the world. Currently, massive investments are being made in Southeast Asia and Linde is well positioned to provide a complete and secure supply chain in this area.
Strong focus on technology development
Linde is pioneering new products and technologies to help the PV industry improve solar cell efficiencies and manufacturing productivity. As part of our commitment to the latest process technologies, we are currently driving the trend from wet to dry processing. Building on our expertise in thin-film silicon solar, our dry processing technologies are enabling smarter crystalline silicon manufacturing processes.
Linde participates in several technology consortia programs such as:
- PEPPER Project in thin film PV where Linde successfully implemented PECVD chamber cleaning using molecular fluorine and helped drastically reduce cleaning time
- EuroPlas Project working with companies such as Meyer Burger, where molecular fluorine is being used for dry texturization of silicon wafers
Linde is also well-prepared for future technology transitions such as n-type cells, which use different materials.
Linde can supply all the gases necessary for the very promising technology of heterojunction, which can deliver very high efficiencies. From our development activities in thin film PV and the display industry, we have gathered in-depth knowledge on process and gas applications that are particularly suitable for heterojunction cell manufacturing. We can also work with you to help reduce your costs, increase productivity, and further improve cell efficiency.
We also offer hardware and expert engineering and materials management services. Here we help our customers to minimize downtime and risks by ensuring safe and smooth process flows and by regularly sharing our detailed gas and chemical knowledge.
| Hardware | Services |
| Bulk special gas systems (BSGS) | Turnkey design and engineering |
| Gas cabinets and gas distribution manifolds | Total gas and chemical management |
| Valve manifold boxes and panels | Total materials management |