German Ersol Thin Film GmbH, a subsidiary of solar-cell manufacturer Ersol Solar Energy AG, and solar cell manufacturer Schott Solar GmbH, a unit of glass products manufacturer Schott AG, signed a coo…
German Ersol Thin Film GmbH, a subsidiary of solar-cell manufacturer Ersol Solar Energy AG, and solar cell manufacturer Schott Solar GmbH, a unit of glass products manufacturer Schott AG, signed a cooperation agreement for the joint development of micromorphous technology for thin-film solar cells, the two companies said on 6 February 2008. The firms will combine their resources in research and development (R&D) with the aim of shortening time-to-market for new products and of obtaining a market-leading position in micromorphous thin-film modules based on Schott“s amorphous silicon technology. Both Ersol Thin Film and Schott Solar are on track to launch products based on the amorphous thin-film technology in the 1.4 square meter, Gen 5 format. In addition, Ersol would continue with the development of micromorphous technology as the next generation of silicon-based thin-film technology. If the project is successful, the alliance would become one of the first enterprises to market this new technology in Europe. Unlike the simple amorphous version, the micromorphous thin-film module has a double-layer structure consisting of an amorphous and a microcrystalline silicon film, which contributes to the improved exploitation of sunlight. The two companies believe that the cells can boost module efficiency by up to 50% and thereby improvement module yield, said Christian Koitzsch, managing director, technology of Ersol Thin Film.