Munich/Mainz/Freudenstadt, June 15, 2012 – SCHOTT Solar AG and SCHMID Group are the winners of the Intersolar Award 2012 in the category PV Production Technology. The jury recognized the two companies’ joint approach “TinPad” – a system that allows for tin contacts to be applied to 6-inch solar cells that is now ready to be used in manufacturing.
Silver is known to be a critical cost factor in cell manufacturing. Replacing the material on the backside with tin, which is considerably less expensive, saves about 6 U.S. cents per wafer. Unfortunately, efforts to do so have failed in the past due to poor adhesion to aluminum.
Thanks to the technique that has been patented by SCHOTT Solar, no silver whatsoever needs to be used in the backside contacts of the solar cell and adhesive force that is twice as high as necessary can be achieved. The SCHMID Group expects to begin shipping initial TinPad systems starting in September.
About the Intersolar Award
To celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Intersolar Award, the organizers of the world’s largest trade exhibition for the solar industry have presented their innovation award among its 3,500 international participants. This award takes not only technologies, but also the diversity and individual characters of specific markets into consideration.
Further information is available under www.schottsolar.de
SCHOTT Solar is an international supplier of high quality solar technology. The company‘s corporate headquarters are in Mainz, Germany. SCHOTT Solar is divided into two areas. In the area of Photovoltaics, SCHOTT Solar focuses on manufacturing and marketing premium quality solar modules, and also project business with large photovoltaic installations. In the area of Concentrated Solar Power, the company manufactures receivers for parabolic trough solar power plants and ranks as the world’s market and technology leader. Customers, partners and financiers appreciate the products SCHOTT Solar offers for their high quality and durability. This can be attributed to company’s experience since 1958, intensive R&D work and tests that are often considered to be twice as rigid as the industry standard. With manufacturing facilities in Europe, the United States and Asia, SCHOTT Solar is able to respond to key markets in a flexible manner. Furthermore, SCHOTT Solar maintains a local sales presence in all of the world’s most important solar markets. Here, the company greatly benefits from the international network of its parent company, SCHOTT AG. In the fiscal year 2010/2011, the SCHOTT Group of approximately 17,000 employees generated global sales of 2.9 billion euros.
About SCHMID Group
SCHMID Group provides highly efficient system and process solutions for the entire solar wafers, cells and modules supply chain. Starting with the single machine right up to the turnkey factory, including guaranteed performance parameters, such as production capacity and degree of efficiency. Innovative process technologies are developed in own technology centers in partnership with universities and research facilities and are made ready for the market.
