Solar cell Umicore
Germanium

Traditional sources of energy such as oil, coal and gas are limited and pollute the environment. Why then not turn to an energy source which will last a lot longer: the prospects for solar energy have never been better.

As the world leader in germanium, a very rare material, Umicore has been active in this sector for quite some time: our extremely thin and pure germanium substrates (or wafers) are very popular as the base material for solar cells in space, where size, efficiency and power are crucial. These substrates are used in the majority of the satellites launched today ... satellites that have turned the world into the global village it is now, using modern means of communication.

These rare germanium-materials are also descending to earth: using an array of lenses and mirrors, solar beams are concentrated on a tiny germanium wafer. This requires a lot less germanium and limits the cost difference with silicon, which is cheaper but less efficient.

Umicore has also developed a unique production method allowing for a significant reduction of the cost of producing very pure silicon, to be used in solar cell applications.

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