Metallization

Fraunhofer ISE has worked with German technology companies to improve the metallization process in silicon solar cells. The result could drive down module costs quite a bit.

U.S. based technology company, Natcore has announced two new processes, which it says could dramatically reduce the production costs of its foil cell, which it has been working to commercialize for the past couple of years.

The agreement between the German metallization solutions company and the leading Chinese Tier-1 solar manufacturer will see the two companies jointly develop ‘Super PV Cells’ in what is the third such strategic partnership between them.

The German metallization and silver paste specialist will collaborate with Solar Space on the creation of regular new dual printing and other techniques in the pursuit of optimized metallization paste performance.

The latest efficiency milestone for Natcore’s Foil Cell is verified by the NanoPower Research Lab at Rochester Institute for Technology. The result was achieved on the Natcore Foil Cell, which utilizes a lasering process and novel metallization strategy, eliminating the need for costly silver.

The German silver paste specialist is ramping up its global team to support its strategic pivot towards becoming an integrated solution provider. Majority of new hires expected to be in China, company confirms.

German equipment supplier Asys today announced the launch of its new dual lane metallization line for crystalline silicon cell production, Alignus 1.5s. The line features a high level of automation, as part of the company’s Industry 4.0 approach, and aims to decrease cell metallization process times.