Heliatek adds foil to organic solar cells

LONDON – Heliatek has begun building its first production facility for organic solar cells with support from FHR Anlagenbau GmbH, a vendor of vacuum process technology tools.

Heliatek GmbH (Dresden, Germany) is planning to be the world's first manufacturer of organic, oligomer-based solar cells. FHR has developed a foil coating system to allow a production line for organic solar cells that requires a small footprint. The company is planning to make flexible photovoltaic modules on that weigh 500 grams per square meter, instead of today's customary 20-kg per square meter for silicon-based solar cells.

Heliatek and FHR plan to have the manufacturing facility set up by mid 2011 and the first solar cells to be produced with the foil coating system are expected to be available at the start of 2012.

"Organic photovoltaic is a new business area for FHR and our roll-to-roll systems," said Reinhard Fendler, managing director of FHR, in a statement issued by Heliatek.

The manufacturing facility is being built in Dresden, close to the A4 highway and only 15 minutes from the airport. With a floor space of about 1,700 square meters, it provides space for offices, production as well as research.

Formed in 2006 as a spin-off from the Universities of Dresden and Ulm, Heliatek develops organic solar cells from small molecule organic dyes that are chemically synthesized from hydrocarbons. The company raised $27 million late in 2009 to fund its manufacturing plans.

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