For more information, contact:

Marna Shillman
Advanced Energy Industries, Inc.
970.407.6280
marna.shillman@aei.com
Angie Kellen
MCA
650.968.8900
akellen@mcapr.com

 

AE's RF Power Delivery Systems Selected by the World's Leading Manufacturer of Thin-Film Solar Products

FORT COLLINS, Colo., Apr. 18, 2006—Advanced Energy Industries, Inc. (Nasdaq: AEIS) today announced that its Dressler® Cesar® RF generators and VarioMatch matching networks have been chosen by Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. (ECD Ovonics: Nasdaq: ENER) to provide process power for the 25 MW photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing equipment being manufactured by ECD Ovonics for United Solar Ovonic, its wholly owned subsidiary. Together, the Cesar RF generator and VarioMatch matching network comprise a full-featured RF power delivery system that meets ECD Ovonics’ critical specifications. United Solar Ovonic’s unique UNI-SOLAR® PV products are flexible, substantially lighter and more rugged than other solar cell products and actually become an attractive part of the building’s roof, replacing roof-top arrays.

As a leader in the development of thin films, ECD Ovonics was looking for a flexible process power system that would integrate easily with its manufacturing platform. Cesar RF generators and VarioMatch matching networks meet all of ECD Ovonics’ integration requirements, including multiple power levels for different process steps.

“ECD Ovonics has been a valued customer for many years and has incorporated AE power systems into previous generations of its PV solar cell manufacturing equipment. We are delighted to extend our partnership with them by supplying their newest generation equipment with our field-proven Cesar power systems,” commented Dr. Hans Betz, president and CEO of AE. “AE has served the solar market for some time. As this market segment grows through innovations such as those delivered by ECD Ovonics, AE is well positioned to benefit from continued industry growth.”

Cesar RF generators are designed to meet demanding process requirements for a broad range of plasma manufacturing applications. They are available in a wide variety of frequencies (from 2 to 60 MHz) and a wide variety of power levels (from 300 W to 5 kW). Both water cooled and air cooled models are available. Standard features include an active front panel, large LCD display, user-friendly software, analog and serial user interfaces as well as controls for VarioMatch matching networks. Cesar generators are CE compliant and use field-proven Class E architecture, which enable their compact, lightweight design. 

About Advanced Energy

Advanced Energy is a global leader in the development and support of technologies critical to high-technology, high-growth manufacturing processes used in the production of semiconductors, flat panel displays, data storage products, solar cells, architectural glass, and other advanced product applications

Leveraging a diverse product portfolio and technology leadership, Advanced Energy creates solutions that maximize process impact, improve productivity and lower the cost of ownership for its customers. This portfolio includes a comprehensive line of technology solutions in power, flow, thermal management, and plasma and ion beam sources for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and end-users around the world.

Advanced Energy operates in regional centers in North America, Asia and Europe and offers global sales and support through direct offices, representatives and distributors. Founded in 1981, Advanced Energy is a publicly held company traded on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol AEIS. For more information, please visit our corporate website: www.advanced-energy.com


Advanced Energy®, AE®, Cesar®, Dressler® and VarioMatch are trademarks of Advanced Energy Industries, Inc. UNI-SOLAR® is a trademark of United Solar Ovonic, a wholly owned subsidiary of Energy Conversion Devices, Inc.