Heraeus Files Patent Infringement Lawsuit against Giga Solar Materials Corp.

-- Heraeus claims pastes sold by Giga Solar for the metallization of crystalline solar cells violate patent.

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Jun 09, 2015, 10:30 ET

TAIPEI, Taiwan, June 9, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Heraeus filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Giga Solar Materials Corporation in the Intellectual Property Court in Taipei, Taiwan, for infringing a patent held by Heraeus related to front-side metallization paste materials used in solar cell technology. In its complaint, Heraeus contends that Giga Solar infringes patent TWI432539 by selling the front-side silver pastes – including the 590, 600 and 620 series - to solar cell manufacturers in Taiwan. The patent covers the use of leaded and lead free tellurium glasses in the production of metallization pastes. By filing this lawsuit Heraeus demonstrates its strong commitment to the PV-industry in defending its intellectual property assets against infringement.

"Heraeus continuously invests significant resources in the development to enhance our portfolio of innovative metallization pastes to meet the needs of our customers to produce more competitive solar cell products," said Andreas Liebheit, Head of Heraeus Photovoltaics Global Business Unit. "Our strong intellectual property portfolio and the advances we are making in the production of metallization paste benefits the PV industry with significant improvements in solar cell technology. Our in-depth paste manufacturing knowledge and expertise are protected with strong patents to ensure that our customers can rely on Heraeus as a long-term industry leading supplier for advanced metallization solutions."

The Heraeus Photovoltaics Global Business Unit is a leading developer and supplier of metallization pastes for the photovoltaic industry. With photovoltaics being one of the primary targeted industries for Heraeus, the company has increased its investment and allocation of resources to the long-term success of this global business unit.

About the Heraeus Photovoltaics 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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SOURCE Heraeus