Overview

At ARISE Technologies, we believe that for solar electricity to become a mainstream technology it has to become a cost-effective option compared with conventional electricity sources.

The biggest issue facing the photovoltaic (PV) industry today is the shortage of affordable solar-grade silicon, also known as polysilicon feedstock. While manufacturing efficiencies continue to lower costs in all other parts of the value chain, supply constraints and the high price of polysilicon feedstock has resulted in dramatic cost increases for PV modules since 2003. Coupled with unprecedented demand levels, compounded annual growth rates for installed PV have exceeded 40% over the past 10 years. In early 2004,the PV industry experienced serious supply constraints for the first time in its history. Long-term polysilicon contract prices more than doubled from less than $40/kg, and spot prices spiked far higher. Since then, PV cell manufacturers have had to commit to long-term contracts supported by cash deposits in order to secure polysilicon supply.

To address this situation ARISE is developing a unique proprietary process that is expected to yield strategic advantages for the company. ARISE expects that its proprietary Silicon Refining Furnace (SiRF™) process will produce high-purity (7N+) polysilicon feedstock at costs that are significantly below those using the conventional Siemens process.

The Refining Process

Historically, the PV industry has relied upon ‘off-spec’(lower purity) silicon from the semiconductor industry. When produced according to specifications, Electronic Grade Silicon or EG-Si, is 99.99999999% pure (also referred to as 10 nines, or 10N). The removal of impurities is accomplished primarily using the Siemens Chemical Vapour Deposition process. The investment for a conventional Siemens facility is significant ($1B for a 10,000 tonne/year plant) and takes several years to get up to full operation.

In the past,‘off-spec’ material, which was in the range of 6-8N, was used for solar-grade polysilicon feedstock. However, the high demand for PV has effectively outstripped this supply in recent years and major producers are de-tuning their processes and expanding capacity to meet demand.

ARISE’s approach is to focus on developing a cost-effective proprietary process to produce 7N+material to complement the production of high-efficiency ARISE PV cells. We believe this will assure long-term success of ARISE in the PV marketplace.

ARISE Silicon Project Milestones

Customers/Partners

Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) is a not-for-profit, arm's-length foundation created by the Government of Canada. SDTC operates two funds aimed at the development and demonstration of innovative technological solutions. The $550 million SD Tech Fund™ supports projects that address climate change, air quality, clean water, and clean soil. The $500 million NextGen Biofuels Fund™ supports the establishment of first-of-kind, large-demonstration-scale facilities for the production of next-generation renewable fuels.

The University of Waterloo has long been recognized as the most innovative university in Canada and is committed to advancing learning and knowledge through teaching, research, and scholarship in their faculties, colleges, and schools.