Favorable Patent Decision in China Adds to IP Strength for Heraeus Photovoltaics

TAIPEI, Taiwan, Dec. 30, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Heraeus Photovoltaics, the worldwide leading supplier of metallization solutions to the PV industry, announced that the Chinese Patent Reexamination Board of the State Intellectual Property Office ("PRB") confirmed the validity of the Chinese Patent No. 201010529562.7 and dismissed the invalidation action filed in June 2015. On June 10, 2015 Heraeus filed a complaint with the Taiwan Intellectual Property Court against Giga Solar Materials Corporation for patent infringement of Heraeus' Patent No. I432539.

The Chinese patent refers to a conductive paste having a low dependence on firing temperature, making a precise control of the firing temperature unnecessary. This allows an easy fire-through control, achieving a stable ohmic contact even without the presence of lead-oxide in the glass frit. The overall benefit is that solar cells with comparable or superior performance and characteristics to those of conventional solar cells can be produced in a simpler and environmental-friendly way.

"We are very pleased by the PRB's decision," said Andreas Liebheit, President of Heraeus Photovoltaics Global Business Unit. "Heraeus is constantly innovating its products and technology and has a broad range of next generation inventions for which we are pursuing and enforcing patent protection. We will continue to aggressively protect our intellectual property rights and challenge those of alleged infringers," concluded Liebheit.

According to Dr. Weiming Zhang, Senior Vice President Innovations of Heraeus Photovoltaics Global Business Unit, the favorable resolution enables the company to move forward.  "Our aim is to develop superior products, incorporating an intellectual property which clearly makes a difference to our customers. With the decision of the PRB we can move this process forward."

About the Heraeus Photovoltaics Global Business Unit

The Heraeus Photovoltaics Business Unit is an industry leading developer and manufacturer of silver metallization pastes for the photovoltaic industry. For over 40 years, Heraeus has built a reputation of innovation, extensive research and new product development in thick film technologies for some of the most prominent companies within a variety of industries. In the field of photovoltaics, the Heraeus Photovoltaics Business Unit applies this history and its innovative technology to offer metallization pastes for solar cell applications. The Heraeus SOL Series of silver pastes is specially formulated to provide higher efficiencies and wider processing windows, resulting in better yields and higher output for cell manufacturers.

Heraeus, the technology group headquartered in Hanau, Germany, is a leading international family-owned company formed in 1851. With expertise, a focus on innovations, operational excellence and an entrepreneurial leadership, we strive to continuously improve our business performance. We create high-quality solutions for our clients and strengthen their competitiveness in the long term by combining material expertise with technological know-how. Our ideas are focused on themes such as the environment, energy, health, mobility and industrial applications. Our portfolio ranges from components to coordinated material systems, which are used in a wide variety of industries, including the steel, electronics, chemical, automotive and telecommunications industries. In the 2014 financial year, Heraeus generated product revenues of €3.4 bn and precious metal revenues of €12.2bn euros. With around 12,600 employees worldwide in more than 100 subsidiaries in 38 countries, Heraeus holds a leading position in its global markets.

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