NORSUN IS A NORWEGIAN SOLAR ENERGY COMPANY that manufactures and markets high performance mono-crystalline silicon ingots and wafers for the global solar energy industry. Dedicated to high efficiency n-type wafers, we are an established supplier to tier-one cell manufacturers.
NorSun operates a state-of-the-art production facility located in Årdal in western Norway, pursuing a detailed and aggressive technology development and cost road map which ensures a competitive price model. NorSun’s ingot, block and wafer slicing capacity is currently at 450 MW. In June 2019, the company closed a NOK 230 million equity round to increase the production capacity to 1000 MW, introduce new technologies, and significantly reduce unit costs.
Our products
INGOT
- Monocrystalline CZ silicon ingots
- n-type (P) or p-type (B)
- Ingot diameter up to Ø215 mm
- Resistivity 0.5 to 25 Ω cm
(upper limit = 7 x lower limit) - Minority carrier lifetime > 1 ms*
- Interstitial oxygen < 18 ppma**
- Substitutional carbon < 2 ppm**
* Higher minimum value available on request
** Lower maximum value available on request
For inqueries, contact sales@norsuncorp.no
NorSun uses standard terms for sales and purchases, please follow the link
BLOCK
- Monocrystalline CZ silicon blocks
- n-type (P) or p-type (B)
- Resistivity 0.5 to 25 Ω cm
(upper limit = 7 x lower limit) - Minority carrier lifetime > 1 ms*
- Interstitial oxygen < 18 ppma**
- Substitutional carbon < 2 ppma**
- 125±0.2 mm side length custom diameter***
- 156±0.3 mm side length custom diameter
(max 210 mm)*** - Rounded or flat corners
(corner length tolerance ±0.5) - Polished sides and chamfers (Ra < 0.1 μm)
- Block length 150 to 400 mm, custom standard length
* Higher minimum value available on request
** Lower maximum value available on request
*** Tighter tolerances available on request
WAFER
- Diamond wire sliced monocrystalline CZ silicon wafers
- n-type (P) or p-type (B)
- Resistivity 0.5 to 25 Ω cm
(upper limit = 7 x lower limit) - Minority carrier lifetime > 1 ms*
- Interstitial oxygen < 18 ppma**
- Substitutional carbon < 2 ppma**
- 125±0.2 mm side length custom diameter***
- 156±0.3 mm side length
custom diameter (max 210 mm)*** - Rounded or flat corners
(corner length tolerance ±0.5) - Polished edges (Ra < 0.1 μm)
- 145 to 180±15 μm thickness
- TTV < 25 μm
- Bow < 50 μm
- Saw mark depth < 15 μm
- Chipping < 300 μm
- No microcracks, stains, or pinholes
* Higher minimum value available on request
** Lower maximum value available on request
*** Tighter tolerances available on request
Our production process
NorSun produces monocrystalline silicon ingots and wafers from polysilicon using the Czochralski process whereby polysilicon is melted in a crystal puller, a seed crystal is lowered into the melt and a single crystal ingot is slowly pulled out of the molten silicon, thereby establishing the atomic order.
The ingot is shaped into pseudo-square blocks and sliced into thin pseudo-square wafers using diamond wire in multiwire saws. The wafers are cleaned through NorSun’s washing lines, packed, and shipped to a select group of high efficiency cell producers.
NorSun delivers a unique customer experience
based on the following:
Premium polysilicon from reputed suppliers combined with proven crystal growing technology from the semiconductor industry.
Using only premium polysilicon from reputed suppliers in combination with semiconductor-based crystal growing technology, NorSun wafers benefit from low levels of co-doping, carbon, metals and crystalline defects. This results in high minority carrier lifetime.
Very accurate ingot shaping equipment with low kerf loss
Using very accurate ingot shaping equipment for square sawing and grinding, NorSun wafers benefit from:
- Tight tolerances on wafer side length, diameter and corner length
- Polished ingot surface with low roughness promoting low wafer breakage
- Low kerf loss due to thin band saw blades, promoting low silicon consumption per Wp
NORSUN WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2005 by Dr. Alf Bjørseth’s company Scatec. At our facility in Årdal, Norway, production of mono-crystalline ingots was initiated early in 2008 and we expanded to wafer production in mid 2009. Today, we are an established supplier to tier-one cell manufacturers and are operating a state-of-the-art production facility. Our technology and cost road maps ensure a competitive price model, and our company is well positioned for further growth in an attractive solar energy market segment.
About
- Headquartered in Oslo, with a state-of-the art manufacturing facility in Årdal
- Current production capacity of 450 MW from 70 ingot pullers and wafering capacity from 16 diamond wire saws
- 210 employees
Brief history
- Groundbreaking for Årdal plant June 2007
- First ingot produced in Årdal in March 2008
- Crown Prince Haakon of Norway inaugurated the NorSun production facility in June 2008
- Wafer production started in August 2009
- The Årdal plant was fully ramped up and operational, with 70 crystal pullers and 16 wire saws in 2010
- Successfully completed refinancing and restructuring of debt and other liabilities in August 2013
- June 2019, closed a NOK 230 million equity round to double the company’s production capacity to 1 GW, introduce new technologies, and significantly reduce unit costs. The round was led by new investors, Nysnø Climate Investments and ABN AMRO’s Energy Transition Fund, investing a total of NOK 160 million with the remainder coming from existing shareholders. The equity round was accompanied by loans and grants from Enova and Innovation Norway, bringing the total capital to NOK 515 million.
Technology development highlights
- Full technology shift from slurry based to diamond wire wafer slicing technology implemented from January 2012
- Diamond wire sawing technology was been further developed to reduce diamond wire consumption and allow for the use of thinner wire. Moreover the ingot process has been further developed for higher productivity, larger ingot diameter, and reduced oxygen content, 2014
- Project for expansion of the wafer cleaning capacity based on proven technology was implemented in March 2015
Svenn Ivar Fure
Chief Executive Officer
Tom Bagstevold
Chief Financial Officer
Dr. Øyvind Nielsen
Chief Technology Officer
Are Brekkan
Chief Commercial Officer
Dr. Carsten Rohr
Vice President Business Development
Steinar Talle
Plant Manager
John Andersen, Jr. Chairman of the board
CEO Scatec
Lars Peder Fensli Board member
CFO Arendals Fossekompani
Frederik Deutman Board member
Managing Director, Energy Transition Fund, ABN AMRO Private Equity
Eivind Egeland Olsen Board member
Chief Investment Officer, Nysnø Klimainvesteringer AS
Siv Bakken Employee representative
Peder Olai Vindedal Employee representative