Nines PV has developed a novel DRY ETCHING equipment and TEXTURING technology for Silicon wafers: the ADE tool and process. ADE provides dry etching without any of the downside of vacuum plasma based etching processes like RIE.
The ADE (Atmospheric Dry Etch) is carried out at atmospheric pressure (NO VACUUM, NO PUMPS) allows for continuous inline processing. The ADE is a thermal process (NO PLASMA), and uses NO high global warming potential gases (NO SF6 nor NF3), hence avoiding any forthcoming carbon tax.
The ADE CAPEX and OPEX are lower than any vacuum based system. ADE tools have a much smaller footprint, and higher throughput (up to 6000 w/h 6 lanes). ADE textures DIAMOND WIRE Wire wafers, and any type of silicon wafer (mono, multi, cast, pseudo-mono,....).