CircuiTree - August 2008 - (Page 6)

[ My Line ] Photovoltaics— An Opportunity to Diversify for PWB Fabricators? uch is being written these days about the promise of generating electricity directly from sunlight in photovoltaic cells. With more research and development, improved manufacturing and cell efﬁciency, some studies project grid parity (i.e., electricity cost at par with conventional power plants) in just a few years, promising reduced dependence on foreign oil and potentially energy self-sufﬁciency in years to come. Dan Feinberg and Happy Holden dedicated their columns in this issue to the growing importance of solar technology, and Ken Gilleo has repeatedly covered this subject (e.g., Energy News Report, June 2007). This raises the question of whether photovoltaics is just a very important general interest topic or if it is also an opportunity for PWB fabricators to leverage their knowhow and diversify. The connection to PWB fabrication is not obvious to me, but I hasten to add that I am certainly not an expert in this ﬁeld. Solar cells use different forms of silicon or thin ﬁlm technology, which explains why foundries enter this ﬁeld. Material suppliers who have a position in protective ﬁlms (ﬂuoropolymers, polyester) or thick ﬁlm pastes for metallization are natural players. Chemical companies with specialty organic chemical material platforms might invest in the development of organic solar cells. Suppliers of temporary wafer bonding systems to support wafers through thinning and post-grinding processes may see an opportunity to supply carriers and adhesives to support thinly sliced solar wafers during a number of processing steps to minimize handling losses. None of these opportunities seem to be a natural ﬁt for PWB fabricators. Yet several Asian PWB fabricators are entering this ﬁeld. These companies may partner with more experienced players to facilitate the entry, and they are certainly not adverse to the risks of unfamiliar technologies. Unitech is investing in solar cell production, and Unimicron has partnered with UMC (United Microelectronics Corporation) to establish a solar cell company. The solar cell industry is currently dominated by Germany, Japan, and the U.S., with China and the oil-rich Gulf states entering the ﬁeld. In Germany, Bosch and BASF are cooperating in the development of low-cost solar cells. Wacker is supplying silicon for solar cells. Schott, a big player in specialty glasses, has set up a joint venture with Wacker to produce solar wafers. The enterprise will create 700 new jobs in its ﬁrst phase. Check out the amazing history of Q-Cells AG, the world’s largest independent manufacturer of solar cells (www.qcells.de). The company was founded in 1999. It employed 19 people in 2001, and grew to 1,700 employees by 2007. Electronic packaging companies also see an opportunity in photovoltaics. Ron Iscoff ’s article on solar technology (Chip Scale Review, January/February 2008) mentions that RoseStreet Labs, FlipChip International’s sister company, is launching RoseStreet Labs Energy for the development of high-efﬁciency photovoltaic devices. For a good overview on photovoltaics, check out the June 2008 issue of Photonics Spectra (“Silicon Is King in Solar Tech”). Five articles on solar technology (photovoltaic technologies, organic photovoltaics, photovoltaic test performance, hybrid solar lighting, and nanowires used to push solar efﬁciency) give a good overview over current developments and applications. Group Publisher • Tom Esposito (610) 436-4220, espositot@bnpmedia.com Senior Editor • Stephanie J. Church (734) 997-9235, stephanie@circuitree.com Technical Editor • Karl Dietz technicaleditor@circuitree.com Technical Packaging Editor • Ken Gilleo Ken@ET-Trends.com India Editor • Muniswamy Anil Kumar Editorial Advisor • Happy Holden Global Sales Manager • Christopher Wilson (248) 244-8264, wilson@circuitree.com West Coast Sales Manager (AZ, CA, CO, NV, OR) • Ed Lohmann (925) 648-2562, lohmanne@bnpmedia.com Inside Sales Manager • Vito Laudati (630) 694-4018, laudativ@bnpmedia.com Art Director • Mike Holmes (412) 306-4358, holmesj@bnpmedia.com Production Manager • Nann Barkiewicz barkiewiczn@bnpmedia.com Marketing/Reprints Jill L. DeVries – Editorial Reprints, (248) 244-1726, devriesj@bnpmedia.com Marketing Manager Senna M. Shehadeh, (248) 786-1604, shehadehs@bnpmedia Audience Development Christine A. Baloga – Corporate Audience Development Director Christina Gietzen – Audience Development Coordinator Megan Unsworth – Multimedia Coordinator Catherine M. Ronan – Corporate Audience Audit Manager For subscription information or service, please contact Customer Service at: Tel. (847) 763-9534 or Fax (847) 763-9538 or e-mail: CTR@halldata.com www.circuitree.com Contact Info for List Rental Customers: POSTAL: Robert Liska, List Manager 800-223-2194 • robert.liska@edithroman.com EMAIL: Shawn Kingston, Account Manager 800-409-4443 • shawn.kingston@epostdirect.com Back Issues – Ann Kalb – (248) 244-6499, kalba@bnpmedia.com M Karl Dietz 6 August 2008 • circuitree.com http://www.qcells.de http://www.circuitree.com http://circuitree.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of CircuiTree - August 2008

CirciuTree - August 2008 Contents My Line Industry Review Tech Talk Flexible Thinking Creating Connections Between Electronics Design and Manufacturing Happy Thoughts View From the Middle Market Outlook Fein Lines IPCA Showcase Technical Product Spotlights Classified Ads Upcoming Events Ad Index Buyers Guide

CircuiTree - August 2008

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