On July 6th 2012 CTF SOLAR and Fraunhofer Institute for Electron Beam and Plasma Technology (FEP), Dresden, signed a cooperation contract on the further development of CdTe process and industrial scale manufacturing technology. Within the next 12 months CTF SOLAR will purchase R&D Services from FEP for more than 1 million euros. In addition CTF SOLAR will delegate 4 scientists of PhD level to FEP´s premises for the joint project.

The new contract continues and enforces the successful cooperation between the partners already established in the past. In course of the previous cooperation FEP had built up a laboratory dedicated to CdTe technology, jointly equipped by CTF SOLAR and FEP, including a pilot production line for manufacturing and testing of CdTe cells and small modules. (This former cooperation had been partially supported by subsidies given by the Sächsische Aufbaubank – SAB).

With this cooperation CTF SOLAR secures access to the laboratory facilities and unique analytic capabilities of FEP. CTF SOLAR´s intention aims at maintaining and improving a strong technology basis for its CdTe production line business. It follows up in particular three major goals:

  • Transferring latest results of basic research on CdTe gained anywhere in the world into industrial scale production technologies.
  • Establishing a clear baseline for the production processes implemented in CTF SOLAR´s production lines.
  • Establishing capabilities providing itself and its customers with scientific and analytic support required for fast and successful process ramp up of CdTe production lines.

Enforcing its R&D efforts is CTF SOLAR´s answer to the fact, that the potential of the CdTe technology is by far not yet exploited. It will keep CTF SOLAR at the leading edge of efficiency improvement and cost reduction of CdTe technology.