Crystal growth equipment supplier GT Advanced Technologies (GTAT) is re-entering the Directional Solidification System (DSS) furnace market for multicrystalline ingot production with the launch of a new product offering.
Sweden-based thin-film production equipment specialist Midsummer said it had secured a second ‘DUO’ flexible CIGS (copper, indium, gallium and selenium) thin-film solar cell sputtering tool order from an existing customer based in Asia.
R&D group Solliance, which includes ECN, imec, TNO, Holst Centre and industrial partners such as Nano-C, Solartek, DyeSol and Panasonic have succeeded in producing a record 10% aperture area power conversion efficiency for an ‘up-scaled’ thin-film perovskite photovoltaic module.
The world’s largest polysilicon producer, GCL-Poly Energy has cited technical issues with its planned ramp of FBR (Fluidized Bed Reactor) technology, according to reports.
LayTec has introduced the first commercially available system for simulation and monitoring of LID (Light Induced Degredation). ‘LID Scope’ is a table-top system that helps to quantify the expected performance loss of any solar cell directly at the production line or in the lab. The tool performs accelerated or real-life degradation tests fully automatically. It is claimed to deliver highly reproducible results and a permanent monitoring of Voc changes by integrated metrology.
The ‘Silicon Module Super League’ (SMSL) members in 2015, Trina Solar, Canadian Solar, JinkoSolar, JA Solar, Hanwha Q CELLS and Yingli Green may have the largest module shipments and manufacturing capacity significantly higher than any other c-Si manufacturer but still lag behind others when it comes to R&D spending.
REC Silicon said it would restart FBR polysilicon production at its Moses Lake facility in the US this month, with full-production planned to be resumed in June, 2016.
Solar PV and polysilicon manufacturing equipment specialist centrotherm said that its current order backlog stood at over €146 million (US$165 million) at the end of the first quarter of 2016.
According to Taiwan-based market research firm, EnergyTrend polysilicon spot market prices in China have surpassed US$20/kg and are expected to climb higher in the next month.
Major US-based polysilicon producer Hemlock Semiconductor has filed suit against ‘Silicon Module Super League’ (SMSL) member, JA Solar for breaching a long-term polysilicon supply agreement.
