Date: 10 Mar 2010  Source: DIGITIMES

Germany-based Heraeus on March 9 announced the establishment of an R&D center in northern Taiwan at an initial investment of NT$60 million (US$1.88 million) to provide materials and technical service for Taiwan-based crystalline silicon solar cell makers and the company plans to set up a factory for PV (photovoltaic) silver paste in Taiwan in 2012, according to the company's PV Business Unit manager Andy London.

Heraeus is currently the second largest global producer of PV silver paste, a material crucial to the energy conversion of solar cells, and expects to increase its global market share from 25% at the end of 2009 to over 40% at the end of 2010, London indicated.

Heraeus has manufacturing facilities for PV silver paste in Germany, the US and China, and plans to set up a fourth one in Taiwan in view of the increasing global market share of Taiwan-based solar cell makers, London pointed out.