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Solar Power Industries places extra 3,000 metric ton order with Becancour Silicon

09 May 2008
TimmincoVertically integrated solar cell manufacturer Solar Power Industries has placed a second long-term order for solar grade silicon with Becancour Silicon, which sees the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania producer receive an additional 3,000 metric tons per year from 2010 to 2015. The initial supply agreement anticipated shipments of solar grade silicon in excess of 4,000 metric tons over its initial period of 5 years. Read more >>

Metallurgical solar-grade silicon could reshape PV industry, says PHOTON Consulting

09 May 2008
TimmincoA new report by PHOTON Consulting has confirmed that the unblended use of metallurgical solar grade silicon has resulted in cell efficiencies above 14 percent and therefore has the potential to significantly reduce silicon material costs, thereby reshaping the photovoltaics industry in the near future. The report was commissioned by Timminco to provide an independent evaluation of its breakthrough metallurgical solar grade silicon processes and products of its subsidiary, Becancour. Read more >>

Korean start-up places $8.8 million order with GT Solar for DSS450 furnaces

07 May 2008
GT SolarGT Solar has received an initial order worth $8.8 million from new silicon solar wafer producer, Nexolon Co., Ltd. of South Korea. Formed in 2007, Nexolon is currently building its first manufacturing plant in the Iksan Industrial Complex in Iksan City of JeonBuk Province, South Korea. Nexolon has ordered multiple DSS450 furnaces from GT Solar that will be used for multicrystalline silicon ingot production. Read more >>

Product Briefings

New Product: Veeco’s Dektak 150 surface profiler offers 10nm thin film resolution

14 November 2007
VeecoProduct Briefing Outline: Veeco Instruments recently launched the Dektak 150 Surface Profiler, which is designed to monitor thin films of advanced PVs as well as critical surface roughness, key for optimal absorption of photons. The standard Dektak 150 utilizes a newly designed 4 x 4-inch X-Y stage with manual theta. It can be configured with a 4-inch Y auto stage that enables 3D imaging, or equipped with a 6-inch X-Y auto stage that, in addition to 3D mapping, provides automation and programmability of over 200 sample sites. With the scan-stitching package, the system can perform even longer scans for stress measurements on larger wafers. Other stage features include wafer alignment pins for ease of use, three-point suspension for stress, lateral calibration for 99.9% accuracy, and a larger scan block for improved baseline stability, according to the company. Read more >>

New Product: Dow Corning adds 3 new performance-based solar module materials to portfolio

14 November 2007
Dow CorningProduct Briefing Outline: Dow Corning's Solar Solutions Group has extended its product offerings for the global solar energy market with an encapsulant and two potting agents that have been tested and qualified for photovoltaic module applications. The PV 6010 Cell Encapsulant and the PV 7010 and PV 7020 Potting Agents have been developed to eliminate the guesswork when dealing with the potential solutions available today. Read more >>

New Product: MM-16 from HORIBA Jobin Yvon collects full spectral ellipsometric data

24 November 2006
HoribaProduct Briefing Outline: HORIBA Jobin Yvon has introduced the MM-16, a spectroscopic ellipsometer dedicated to the advanced characterization of film thickness and optical constants for a broad range of materials such as semiconductors, compounds, alloys and organic thin films. Read more >>