In the complex series of processes that are undertaken to create a fully-functioning solar cell from an ingot of pure silicon, it is generally accepted that advances in the metallization process hold the key to greater cell efficiency. In this area DEK Solar focuses its talents exclusively on the process and is rapidly emerging as a leader in this challenging sector. Industry observer David Hughes caught up with Darren Brown, DEK Solar’s Alternative Energy Business Manager for PES . . .
PES: As an entity, DEK Solar is a relatively new brand in the alternative energy sector. How has the business accelerated into the metallization space so explosively?
Daren Brown: DEK Solar enjoys a very fine heritage based on the prowess and more than 40 years of experience of in-screen and stencil printing technologies through DEK, which is a longer-standing business unit active in the surface mount electronics assembly and semiconductor sectors. That said, DEK itself already had over 30 years of experience in the solar sector as a function of its early thick film activities for which it was highly renowned. The formation of DEK Solar was a natural progression when we identified how effectively our unique skill set could be deployed in the solar cell metallization arena.
