BTU International Passes 5GW Milestone in Metallization Firing Systems

NORTH BILLERICA, Mass., Feb. 16, 2011—BTU International, a leading supplier of advanced thermal processing equipment and processes for the alternative energy and electronics manufacturing markets, today announced that its cumulative shipments for equipment used in firing of metallization for silicon photovoltaics have exceeded 5GW.

“Our metallization tools are Cost of Ownership leaders and demonstrate the superior process control that BTU is known for,” said Jan-Paul van Maaren, Ph.D., vice president of marketing at BTU. “The ISO 9001:2008 certified factory where most of our firing furnaces are produced is strategically located in Shanghai, China near many of the leading PV manufacturers offering them a substantial cycle-time advantage.”

BTU offers the Tritan™ metallization firing system as well as the PVD line of contact/drying firing furnaces. Both of these systems utilize near infrared heating technology. Tritan metallization firing system features BTU’s unique TriSpeed™ technology, allowing users to take advantage of superior ramp rates–up to 200ºC per second–while not compromising the drying and cooling sections of the profile. The PVD line comes in varying lengths and widths to suit specific throughput requirements. Specialized features include rapid heating via densely spaced tungsten lamps and rapid cooling rates obtained through proprietary water cooling technology

About BTU International

BTU International is a market-leading, global supplier of advanced thermal processing equipment to the alternative energy and electronics assembly markets. BTU’s equipment and expertise are used in the manufacturing of solar cells and nuclear fuel as well as the production of printed circuit board assemblies and semiconductor packaging. BTU has design and manufacturing operations in North Billerica, Massachusetts and Shanghai, China with direct sales and service worldwide. Information about BTU International is available at www.btu.com.

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Company Contact:                                                                                              

Jan-Paul van Maaren
Vice President Marketing
BTU International, Inc.
Phone: (978) 667-4111

Media Contact:                                                                                                                        

Megan Wendling
MW Associates
Phone: (239) 537-6001