Solar Cells Info

Jimmy Hsu, Taipei; Esther Lam
Source; DigiTimes, 16 October 2007
http://www.digitimes.com/bits_chips/a20071015PD201.html

Sun Well Technology is about to complete construction of its production plant for thin-film solar cell production in Taiwan in mid-November with volume production slated to follow in the second quarter of 2008. The company is confident about its competitive technology edge, as well as an early presence in the industry, and aims to be one of the top-five thin-film solar cell makers in the future.

The CMC Magnetics thin-film solar cell subsidiary, which held a ground breaking ceremony in July, will soon complete construction of its thin-film solar cell plant. One production line will be installed at this plant initially and the glass substrate size will be 1,100×1,300mm. As equipment is supplied by the leading thin-film solar cell equipment maker Oerlikon, which has practical experience in mass production, trial production should be ready in small volume in the first quarter of 2008.

CMC company spokesperson Yin-Yi Hsiao updated that Sun Well will house an initial capacity of 15 peak megawatt (MWp) and that construction of a second production line will depend on demand. He added in saying that sampling to customers is slated for the second quarter of 2008 and expects Sun Well to start posting a profit from 2009.

CMC can apply its experience in sputtering technology to optical glass for thin-film coating, said Hsiao. Oerlikon delivers competitive transparent conductive oxide (TCO) coating technology for better sunlight absorption and the equipment leads rivals in terms of overall technology by 1-1.5 years, which helps Sun Well to make an earlier presence and leading role in technology. Hsiao added in saying that other competitors may take a minimum of two years to develop TCO technology.

With power conversion efficiency of thin-film solar cells now averaging at about 7%, CMC company chairman Robert Wong said Sun Well plans to upgrade production to micromorph cell production technology in the future, boosting the conversion rate to 9-12%. According to Oerlikon, a micromorph cell has an additional micro-crystalline absorber which can convert energy of the red and near infrared spectrum, allowing an efficiency increase of approximately 30%.

While Sun Well aims to be one of the top-five thin-film solar cell suppliers, Wong reiterated that the advantage of tapping into this business earlier, as the present thin-film solar cell market is dominated by two players respectively in Japan and Germany. Sun Well is aggressively seeking partnership with research institutions for thin-film solar cell development, he noted.