Nanotechnology Now - Press Release: Solliance and imec join forces in thin film PV R&D

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Abstract:
Imec and Solliance have announced that imec will be a full partner of Solliance and will integrate its thin film PV R&D efforts in Solliance. With imec as a partner, Solliance aims to be an R&D cluster bringing thin film solar energy technology to excellence. The announcement will be celebrated at imec's annual reception at PVSEC in Hamburg, Germany, on 7 September at imec Booth C11, Hall B4G, at 16.30 o'clock.

Solliance and imec join forces in thin film PV R&D

Leuven, Belgium | Posted on September 5th, 2011

Solliance works in close cooperation with industry, both to fulfill short-term needs of industry, and to convey promising programs of mid- and long-term research. It focuses on three main thin film technologies: thin film Si, alternatives for CIGS, and organic photovoltaics (OPV). For these principal themes Solliance will collaborate with the industry at its facilities in Eindhoven as well as at imec's facilities in Leuven, providing direct answers to the industry's most pressing questions. Solliance also concentrates on generic technologies that will be vital to any thin film PV industry: testing, characterization and monitoring, laser technologies, light management by mechanical texturization, transparent conductive layers, monolithic interconnection, new OPV device development, thin film deposition techniques, sheet-to-sheet processing, roll-to-roll (R2R) processing, and in-line monitoring.

Luc Van den hove, President and CEO imec, said, "The joining of forces in Solliance creates focus and critical mass, needed to be a top level player in the world of thin film PV."

Hein Willems, Solliance's managing director, added, "Strengthened by imec as the fifth member, our research now stretches across the entire field, from fundamentals of materials science to sophisticated production technologies." Imec specifically excels in nanoelectronics, and harbors CIGS-related and OPV research teams of significant volume and expertise. It will now continue its thin film R&D within the Solliance cooperation.

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About IMEC
Imec performs world-leading research in nanoelectronics. Imec leverages its scientific knowledge with the innovative power of its global partnerships in ICT, healthcare and energy. Imec delivers industry-relevant technology solutions. In a unique high-tech environment, its international top talent is committed to providing the building blocks for a better life in a sustainable society. Imec is headquartered in Leuven, Belgium, and has offices in Belgium, the Netherlands, Taiwan, US, China, India and Japan. Its staff of about 1,900 people includes more than 500 industrial residents and guest researchers. In 2010, imec's revenue (P&L) was 285 million euro. Further information on imec can be found at www.imec.be.
Imec is a registered trademark for the activities of IMEC International (a legal entity set up under Belgian law as a "stichting van openbaar nut”), imec Belgium (IMEC vzw supported by the Flemish Government), imec the Netherlands (Stichting IMEC Nederland, part of Holst Centre which is supported by the Dutch Government), imec Taiwan (IMEC Taiwan Co.), imec China (IMEC Microelectronics (Shangai) Co. Ltd.), and imec India (Imec India Private Limited).

About Solliance

Solliance’s ambition is to strengthen the position of the Eindhoven-Leuven-Aachen triangle (ELAT region) as a world player in thin film PV. Solliance now creates synergy among more than 250 researchers with this common goal. Solliance aims to realize this ambition by joint use of state-of-the-art infrastructure, alignment of research programs, and close cooperation with the solar business community. Solliance is, amongst others, financially supported by the Dutch Province of Brabant. See: www.solliance.eu

Solliance partners

ECN, the leading energy research institute in the Netherlands, very successful in the development of crystalline silicon PV technology, will transfer its entire thin film research group to Eindhoven. See: www.ecn.nl

Imec, a world-leading research institute in nanoelectronics, based in Flanders, participates with its OPV and CIGS PV research groups. See: www.imec.be

TNO, the leading Dutch institute for applied scientific research and strong in generic technologies, has transferred all its work on PV to Solliance. See: www.tno.nl

Holst Centre, a joint research initiative of imec and TNO, joined Solliance with a focus on its work on roll-to-roll processes, mainly oriented towards OPV on flexible substrates. See: www.holstcentre.com

TU/e, Eindhoven University of Technology, participates with its research groups Molecular Materials & Nanosystems, and Plasma & Materials Processing. See: www.tue.nl

Solliance is supported by the Dutch province of North Brabant, which has dedicated € 28 million to Solliance. This will fund a large shared laboratory in Eindhoven with the newest equipment, complementing the partner’s labs which are also available to the other partners.

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Imec
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M: +32 486 06 51 75

Barbara Kalkis
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Marketing & Public Relations
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