Silicon wafer manufacturer 1366 Technologies announced a performance record for its Direct Wafer technology. The company says it achieved 19.9% cell efficiency through an ongoing technical partnership with Hanwha Q CELLS.

The company says the result was confirmed by the Fraunhofer ISE CalLab. It says that rapid efficiency gains are possible with 1366’s kerfless, drop-in 156 mm multicrystalline wafers and Hanwha Q CELLS Q.ANTUM passivated emitter rear contact (PERC) cell process.

“This latest milestone demonstrates the rapid gains still possible with our Direct Wafer process because our technology is not limited by the inherent weaknesses of ingot-based wafer manufacturing,” says Frank van Mierlo, CEO, 1366 Technologies.

1366 says that it technical roadmap shows a path to cell efficiencies "significantly higher than sawn HPM," making Direct Wafer products "superior for both their cost and technical advantages."

1366 Technologies’ Direct Wafer process forms multicrystalline wafers directly from molten silicon. The company says the result is a uniformly better wafer, created at one-half the cost of conventional methods. The company says the technology also has the benefit of being a “drop-in” replacement for much of the photovoltaics market, making it "seamless" for cell and panel manufacturers to adopt the technology without adding new equipment.

The “1366” in 1366 Technologies refers to the solar constant or the amount of the sun’s energy that hits the earth’s atmosphere per square meter.