Date: 22/09/2009

PV Group forms new standards committees in Japan and Taiwan

The solar semiconductor industry body PV Group of Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI) has formed new Photovoltaic Standards Committees in Japan and Taiwan. The initial focus of work in the Japan Committee will be to standardize the dimensions of thin-film substrates used in modern solar cells, while Taiwan recently started developing standards for crystalline-silicon cell appearance as well as a vibration test method. The new standards development groups join SEMI Standards committees in Europe and North America, which have been active since 2006.

In 2008, a Taiwan PV Standards Working Group was formed. The Taiwan PV Standards Committee consists of key players from all segments of the PV manufacturing chain- manufacturers of materials, equipment, wafers, cells, modules, thin films, as well as academia, local industry associations and research institutes. Committee leaders include staff from Chroma, DelSolar, UL Taiwan, and ITRI.

The Japan PV Committee will work to include liaisons and synergies with other SEMI technical committees for the development of PV-related standards. The PV Standards Committee will explore and develop standards that pertain to common criteria, guidelines, methods for control and comparison of PV-related process / metrology equipment, materials, components, or manufacturing operations. It will seek to support the international need for increasing PV product / process yield and reducing related PV costs per Watt peak. This committee will investigate opportunities towards harmonization of PV-related efforts with other SDOs. In addition to the above, the committee will facilitate any industry initiatives towards product standardization needs.

Recently, the SEMI PV Group released a Standards Guidance Document that identified 64 SEMI Standards topics as "Applicable" to the PV industry. Thirty-one SEMI Standards topics were rated as "Top Priority" for their potential to deliver immediate cost benefits to the industry with limited revision. This summer, an important Standard was passed that defines a unified equipment communication interface for PV production systems (PV2-0709). Earlier in the year, a standardized test method for detecting elemental impurities in photovoltaic silicon feedstock was approved (PV1-0309).

PV group focuses exclusively on solar semiconductor related opportunities its website is www.pvgroup.com