TSMC Solar Ltd, which was founded in May 2009 as a subsidiary of the world's biggest silicon wafer foundry Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Inc (TSMC), says TUV SUD has confirmed that its latest commercial-sized (1.09m2) CIGS (copper indium gallium diselenide) champion module has achieved 15.7% module total area efficiency.
The new champion module improves on TSMC Solar's previous 15.1% world record for monolithic thin-film module efficiency, set in January. The module was produced using the current manufacturing equipment and materials at the firm's manufacturing facility in Taichung, Taiwan.
"Our new champion module not only pushed our efficiency record up by 0.6% points in just 4 months, but also achieved a record temperature coefficient of -0.26%/degree Celsius, showing our continued ability to improve our process technology," says TSMC Solar's president Ying-Chen Chao.
TSMC Solar has also announced the introduction of its new TS-CIGS Series Model C1 module, with nameplate power spanning 140-155W. The UL- and TUV SUD-certified module has an improved temperature coefficient of -0.31%/degree Celsius and has passed both the Blowing Sand Test based on IEC 60068-2-68 and the Salt Mist Ed.2 test.
"Our Model C1 modules deliver improved energy yield and reliability in high-temperature and desert environments and prove our ability to bring record-setting process improvements to market," comments Stephen McKenery, TSMC Solar's worldwide sales head.
