EANS-News: PVA TePla AG High cell efficiency and low operating costs - the key
to long-term success in the photovoltaics industry
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Research & Development
Wettenberg (euro adhoc) - (Wettenberg, March 13, 2012) - Given the currently
difficult situation in the photovoltaics industry, which is characterized by
excess capacities and a resulting heavy pressure on prices and margins,
increasing cell efficiency is recognized as offering enormous potential for
optimizing the cost of ownership (CoO). In light of this, PVA TePla AG,
Wettenberg (Germany), a leading manufacturer of systems for producing
monocrystalline silicon crystals using the Czochralski and float-zone method,
has systematically enhanced its systems technology for growing crystals in
collaboration with customers, cooperation partners and research centers from the
photovoltaics industry.
In addition to major improvements in the long-established Czochralski technology
leading to reduced process times and lower process costs, which are achieved by
increasing the crystallization speed and utilizing raw and consumable materials
more efficiently, more recent developments have been focusing on the float-zone
procedure for manufacturing high-purity monocrystalline silicon for solar
applications.
Float-zone technology was originally developed for manufacturing semi-conductors
and has grown increasingly important in recent years. Float-zone technology
ensures that the stringent purity requirements essential, for example, in the
production of electronic components for high-performance applications can be
achieved for monocrystalline silicon.
With a crystal-growing system that is optimized for the photovoltaics industry
and can extract monocrystalline silicon crystals using the float-zone method,
standard plants are now available to industry that allow future requirements for
photovoltaic power generation to be met. Only with excellent wafer material can
the highest levels of efficiency be achieved throughout the increasingly complex
manufacturing process. For this purpose, consistently high quality across the
entire silicon crystal is required as well as high crystal purity. With the
float-zone method, the photovoltaics industry can now benefit from system
technology for growing crystals that offers outstanding cell efficiency and low
operating costs.
The Fraunhofer Center for Silicon Photovoltaics CSP in Halle as well as the
Leibniz Institute for Crystal Growth (IKZ) and industry partners are continuing
to work intensively with crystal growing systems of the PVA TePla as part of the
`cluster of excellence´ sponsored by the German Federal Ministry of Education
and Research (BMBF) and can testify to the outstanding efficiency of the
float-zone cells.
Further inquiry note:
Dr. Gert Fisahn
Telefon: +49(0)641 68690-400
E-Mail: gert.fisahn@pvatepla.com
end of announcement euro adhoc
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company: PVA TePla AG
Im Westpark 10-12
D-35435 Wettenberg
phone: +49(0)641 68690-0
FAX: +49(0)641 68690-800
mail: ir@pvatepla.com
WWW: http://www.pvatepla.com
sector: Misc. Industrials
ISIN: DE0007461006
indexes: CDAX
stockmarkets: free trade: Hannover, Berlin, München, Hamburg, Düsseldorf,
Stuttgart, regulated dealing/prime standard: Frankfurt
language: English