Heraeus forecasts higher efficiencies with new paste solutions
Heraeus Photovoltaics, a technology solution provider for the renewable energy industry, announced a new and expanded portfolio of products and services at the 2018 SNEC International Photovoltaic Power Generation and Smart Energy Exhibition & Conference in Shanghai. These new solutions, coupled with the company's position as the world leader in metallization paste, is part of a strategic transformation by Heraeus to expand its innovations further across the PV value chain.
Heraeus took the opportunity to unveil an advanced electrically conductive adhesive (ECA) named Hecaro that contains exceptionally little silver but delivers performance equivalent to high silver ECAs. In addition to the overall cost savings, Hecaro has been optimized for screen-printing, fast curing and long term reliability. All these factors position Hecaro to be a strong candidate for advanced solar cell interconnection designs such as shingling, IBC, HJT.
The expansion of Heraeus into adjacent applications is part of the market trend for PV companies looking to streamline and simplify their value chains by seeking partners who can provide a more integrated suite of products, solutions and support.
Dr. Weiming Zhang, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for Heraeus Photovoltaics, stated that expanding its expertise beyond paste was a natural evolution. He said, "Our paste success is due in large part to the holistic approach we employ to helping our customers leap higher in the quest for efficiency gains and cost leadership. Our new "˜beyond paste portfolio' will help enable them to be more competitive and innovative. Equally important, our work will help the solar industry continue to deliver the lowest total cost per-watt cost of generating electricity."
The expanded Heraeus portfolio includes:
HeraGlaze, a high-purity, high-density barrier coating that enhances crucible performance in multi-crystalline silicon solar wafer production. By increasing the usable section of the silicon ingot, HeraGlaze increases both wafer output yield and cell efficiency;
Heraeus Solaray infrared radiation heating lamps use high quality quartz tube and heating material. Through the control of the material properties, Solaray provides a smoother and more stable optimization of sintering process for the solar cell, allowing customers to achieve greater efficiency;
Hecaro, an electrically conductive adhesive that contains <50% silver content, providing proven reliability and faster coating. Additionally, Hecaro can be screen-printed; the company's new Cell Optimization Service, which partners with world-class research institutions to provide customers with a complete solar cell analysis, simulation and process optimization;
a new paste-and-screen bundle gives solar customers a onestop solution that shortens the test time and reduces production costs. The screens effectively optimize the metallization process in solar cell production lines, providing the advantage of fine-line printing and improved long-term printing stability.
Technical experts from Heraeus Photovoltaics will provide details on the company's Beyond Paste PV Solution Portfolio at the 2018 SNEC International Photovoltaic Power Generation and Smart Energy Exhibition & Conference (Booth W3-510), taking place May 27-30 at the Shanghai New International Expo Center.
