Photovoltaic news and pv jobs

Thin film undergoing “significant revitalization”

Manz Automation AG has said it is currently seeing “a significant revitalization in the thin film segment”. The news comes as the company announces its acquisition of €8 million worth of new thin film orders in Germany and the U.S.

Dieter Manz. Image: Manz Automation.

“We are currently seeing a significant revitalization in the thin film segment, and are expecting growing dynamism in all of our market segments for the second half of the year,” said Dieter Manz, Manz Automation’s CEO.

He added: “That means that our hopes of exceeding our operating and financial targets in the current fiscal year are growing – especially supported by the excellent development of the FPD segment in first half of 2010.”

The company has also announced that its order backlog has passed the €100 million mark for the first time since the financial crisis. This order backlog will mostly be recognized in revenues and earnings this year, it said.

In a statement issued, the company explained: “The backend lines that have been developed for the production of crystalline solar cells are enjoying strong increases in demand from solar cell manufacturers. Over the course of just a few months, Manz Automation has booked orders for a total of nine backend lines with an output totaling more than 500 megawatts (MW).

“In particular, the high-precision printer HAP 2400 which is integrated in these lines, combined with the OneStep Selective Emitter Technology is finding the favor of customers in Germany and abroad, as this process significantly improves the conductivity between the silicon wafer and the contact fingers. This increases the effectiveness of the crystalline cells by up to 0.5 percent. The machines are shipped, in particular, to high-growth Asian markets, including China, South Korea and India.”