Air Liquide cooperates with Sunsonix to deliver new solutions to Crystalline-Si solar cell manufacturers

Air Liquide and Sunsonix signed an exclusive cooperation agreement to provide advanced wet chemical additives for the mainstream Crystalline-Si (C-Si) solar cell manufacturers worldwide. The wet chemical additives are biodegradable and remove trace metal contamination from silicon solar substrate surfaces by applying improved processes for solar cell. This innovative technology will enable higher solar cell performances and cost/Watt reduction without the need to upgrade production equipment.

Air Liquide has a leading position in the photovoltaic industry supply chain. Its material management and on-site services infrastructure have provided benefits to numerous manufacturers of C-Si solar cell in more than 20 countries, who can now rapidly deploy the Sunsonix' technology to mass production. Based on this agreement, Air Liquide offers exclusively Sunsonix' value-added solutions, as part of its existing ALTAYTM range of advanced precursor materials, to its solar cell customers in China and Taiwan.

Sunsonix is a US company focusing on surface science and technology solutions that enhance the efficiency and lifetime performance of solar cells. Sunsonix offers environmentally safe cleaning solutions that improve cell purity, efficiency and energy yield, while reducing manufacturing cost per watt.

Helmuth Treichel, President and CEO of Sunsonix, said: "We have been continuously developing advanced biodegradable chemicals to meet the requirements of the photovoltaic industry. Cooperating with a leading material supplier like Air Liquide will enable us to offer global solar cell manufacturers our advanced manufacturing solutions."

Olivier Gochard, Vice President Electronics of Air Liquide China, said: "Our strategic agreement with Sunsonix highlights Air Liquide' s commitment to creating values for photovoltaic industry. We can work together to improve cell efficiency and reduce costs for our C-Si solar cell customers."