EANS-News: PVA TePla AG
High cell efficiency and low operating costs - the key
to long-term success in the photovoltaics industry
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Corporate news transmitted by euro adhoc. The issuer/originator is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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
Original content of: PVA TePla AG, transmitted by news aktuell