LPKF Laser & Electronics has secured its first laser solar scribing system order from a CIGS (copper indium gallium selenide) thin film customer worth around US$12.2 million.
LPKF Laser has been a longstanding supplier of laser scribing tools to leading CdTe (cadmium telluride) thin film manufacturer, First Solar and the only thin film manufacturer in the ‘Solar Module Super League” (SMSL).
Goetz M. Bendele, CEO of LPKF Laser & Electronics said, “I am happy that the continuing development of our laser technology into a differentiated solution for customers who intend to manufacture thin-film solar modules with CIGS technology is now paying off. Our CIGS solution will increase the competitiveness of CIGS thin-film solar modules, and that of our customers.”
The equipment supplier had a total order backlog of approximately US$27.4 million at the end of the third quarter of 2020, after receiving an order worth around US$22 million from an existing thin film customer.
The new order increases LPKF Laser’s order backlog to US$34.3 million.
Revenue recognition from some of these orders is expected in the second quarter of 2021 and through into 2022.
PV Tech recently highlighted plans announced by First Solar to expand manufacturing capacity of its large-area Series 6 modules.