May 15 2010
Sixtron Advanced Materials has established a partnership with Air Liquide to distribute and promote sophisticated coating materials to manufacturers of crystalline silicon (“c-Si”) solar cells globally. This Silexium technology will help crystalline solar panel manufacturers, representing approximately 70% of all photovoltaic producers, to enhance their solar cells performance and also reduce expenses.
The agreement will facilitate Air Liquide to complement well with its already existing offer of sophisticated precursor materials as well as propose a novel gas solution to its customers of c-Si photovoltaic solutions worldwide.
Sixtron Advanced Materials focuses on developing cost-effective and scalable industrial coating systems which enhance solar cells performance. The Silexium solution combines the SunBox gas generation system with proprietary precursor molecules to create novel solar cell films.
The Silexium technology is an anti-reflective, silane-free passivation coating which almost removes LID in solar cells. Known to be a concern in the solar sector, LID reduces monocrystalline solar cell efficiency by around 5%. In comparison with solar cells with conventional silane-based SiN coatings, cells with the Silexium technology exhibit around 88% less LID.
Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) financially supports a project to demonstrate and develop the technology of Sixtron Advanced Materials.