WIN moves into solar with Aixtron epitaxy kit
Taiwan-based GaAs foundry WIN Semiconductors is diversifying into multi-junction solar cell production.
The company, which owns a 6-inch fab in Kuei Shan Hsiang with a capacity of 75,000 wafers per year, has previously concentrated on RFIC applications and offered HBT, PHEMT and metamorphic HEMT processes.
Now, it has ordered a production MOCVD tool from German equipment vendor Aixtron as part of its new venture into terrestrial applications of triple-junction cells grown on germanium wafers.
The AIX 2600G3 IC tool ordered by WIN is typically designed to handle either 12x4-inch or 7x6-inch wafer configurations, while production solar cell epitaxy is usually based on 4-inch germanium material.
Although US solar cell manufacturers Emcore and Spectrolab lead the market in terms of volume production and photoelectric conversion efficiencies, it appears that the sector will become much more crowded in the near future.
Aside from WIN, the Spanish solar system company Isofoton is rumored to be investing heavily in epitaxy equipment, while the Japanese firm Sharp - a dominant global force in silicon-based solar cell technology - may also move into the compound semiconductor space.
And the Imperial College, London, spin-off Quantasol recently raised seed funding to support its bid to commercialize strain-balanced multi-junction cells (see related story).
WIN said of the Aixtron equipment purchase: "The major players in the solar cell epitaxy market in Europe are successfully using the Aixtron MOCVD systems. We are convinced of their track record, and are confident that the new system will clear the way for our success in the solar cell market."
Aixtron is keen not to hype up the emerging solar market opportunity, although it is likely that more companies in Taiwan and elsewhere will try to capitalize on multi-junction photovoltaics in the drive towards "clean" energy production.
