SiXtron raises $10m in venture capital financing (1)
SiXtron, a developer of films coating for solar cells, has raised $10m in series A financing, led by Ventures West. Also participating were iNovia Capital, Innovatech sud du Québec, and Fonds d’Investissement en développement durable.
SiXtron is a joint spin-off of Bishop’s University and Université de Sherbrooke, and has developed a new technology that is both cost-effective and non-hazardous compared to conventional silicon nitride coatings.
One of the final steps in the fabrication of silicon solar cells is the application of passivation and anti-reflective coatings. The purpose of this manufacturing step is to optimize cell efficiency. SiXtron’s proprietary “silane free” process for the deposition of SiC composite thin films offers several compelling advantages over conventional silicon nitride (SiN) coatings, the current dominant solution within the industry. These include enhanced solar cell and module performance and eliminating the use of extremely pyrophoric silane gas (used in SiN coatings). Since a fatal gas explosion at a Taiwanese solar cell production facility in 2005, the industry has been looking for a reliable alternative.
Zbigniew Barwicz, President and CEO of SiXtron, says that he hopes to ship their products within a 9 to 12 months timeframe with the investment.
[...] you can call us “Silicon Valley North” just yet, but it’s still exciting to see companies getting funded and companies [...]
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