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XsunX, Inc. (BULLETIN BOARD:
XSNX.OB), the developer of advanced, thin-film photovoltaic (TFPV) solar
cell technologies and manufacturing processes, and Intevac, Inc. (NASDAQ:IVAC),
the world's leading provider of magnetic media deposition equipment to the hard
disk drive (HDD) industry, announce that they are working under a Joint Business
Agreement to collaborate in the development of techniques and equipment for
the production of commercially marketable processes and equipment for the manufacture
of CIGS (copper indium gallium selenide) thin-film solar cells. Through the
successful combination of cross-industry specialties, XsunX and Intevac plan
to develop a new breed of TFPV manufacturing techniques to produce thin-film
solar cells.
By teaming up, the companies plan to effectively combine Intevac's unparalleled
expertise and years of technological improvements developed for the sophisticated
HDD manufacturing industry with XsunX's experience in the TFPV industry, which
includes senior staff with years of commercially successful CIGS-related technology
development. The two companies are adapting high-rate production tools from
the disk drive industry with process knowledge from the CIGS and thin-film industry.
This unique and novel approach focuses on maintaining a relatively small deposition
area; initially about five-inch squares similar in size to silicon solar wafers,
which the companies believe reduces a significant challenge that has faced the
CIGS industry in the past: maintaining cell performance while scaling commercial
production.
"We are thrilled to establish this relationship with Intevac, whose HDD
manufacturing techniques are the standard of the industry," said Tom Djokovich,
chief executive officer, XsunX, Inc. "Intevac has the capacity to bring
tremendous value to XsunX through their existing engineering and process development
advancements. Likewise, our resources and expertise in the development of evaporative
technologies, and the best processing parameters for the CIGS thin film layers,
will help lay the foundation for the rapid development of this first-of-its-kind
cross-industry technology."
"Intevac is pleased to enter into a relationship with XsunX and pleased
that they will be using our enabling technology for the development and manufacture
of CIGS photovoltaic cells," said Kevin Fairbairn, president and chief
executive officer, Intevac, Inc., "We plan to leverage our experience in
thin film deposition derived from our HDD equipment business and mainframe transport
design capability derived from our semiconductor etch business to provide high
productivity, low cost of ownership manufacturing platforms for the production
of thin film PV cells."
Posted September 22nd, 2009
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