韩国材料设备商推进钙钛矿叠层电池与玻璃基板技术商业化

Korean materials, parts, and equipment suppliers are accelerating the development of next-generation technologies to capture new demand arising from the expansion of AI data centers (AIDC). They are rushing to commercialize tandem solar cells to meet AIDC power demand, while also stepping up efforts to secure copper bonding technology, targeting the glass substrate market central to AI chips.
According to the industry on the 15th, equipment manufacturer Jusung Engineering (036930) has completed the development of tandem cell deposition equipment. A tandem cell is a next-generation product that improves power generation efficiency by placing a perovskite solar cell on top of a conventional silicon solar cell. Jusung Engineering has developed deposition equipment that coats perovskite onto HJT (heterojunction) silicon solar cells using ALG (atomic layer growth) technology. The goal is to raise power generation efficiency from the current 25% to 35%. "Development is already complete, and we are ready to supply for mass production," a company official said. "We expect the solar market to grow starting at the end of this year."
Advanced materials company LKChem (489500) is focusing on securing the technology to commercialize perovskite materials. Starting with a technology transfer from the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology in 2021, the company entered research and development of tandem cell materials. This month, it also received a transfer of "tandem cell solar battery material composition and manufacturing" technology, building a value chain that extends from basic raw materials (precursors) to thin-film formation processes. "We are currently conducting research on tandem cell fabrication using new tandem perovskite materials together with the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology," an LKChem official said. "Since the industry sees full commercialization of tandem cells occurring in 2028, our goal is to mass-produce this material starting at the end of 2027."
Inspection equipment manufacturer Unitest (086390) is deep into perovskite technology development. Although it does not directly produce tandem cells due to a lack of solar manufacturing lines, it is considered a frontrunner in the perovskite field, the underlying technology. In June this year, it supplied samples for indoor Internet of Things (IoT) devices applying this technology, and it plans to pursue commercialization of building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) and aerospace products in the future. Unitest continues to invest, spending 3.5 billion won on perovskite solar cell research and development in 2023, 4.9 billion won each in 2024 and 2025, and 1.4 billion won in the first quarter of this year.
Companies are accelerating the commercialization of perovskite tandem cells because securing energy has emerged as a key challenge amid AIDC expansion. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), global data center power consumption is projected to rise sharply from 415 terawatt-hours (TWh) in 2024 to 945 TWh in 2030. However, data centers must procure enormous amounts of power from limited sites. Nuclear and liquefied natural gas (LNG) power generation involve long construction periods and many barriers to overcome. As a result, solar power, which can respond to immediate demand, is drawing attention. This is the backdrop against which tandem cells, which raise power generation efficiency from 25% to 35%, are being cited as an alternative. Market research firm Fortune Business Insights forecast that the tandem cell market will grow from $390.03 million this year to $6,177.84 million in 2034, an average annual growth rate of 41%.
Another battleground for the materials, parts, and equipment industry is the glass substrate market. Glass substrates are next-generation components that replace conventional plastic substrates with glass. With less thermal deformation and the ability to hold more chips, they are considered a core technology for high-performance AI chip packaging. However, unlike plastic, glass has a smooth surface and different thermal conductivity properties, posing the problem that the copper inserted for electrical connections does not adhere easily.
Chemical materials company YMTC (251370) is accelerating efforts to transfer the plating capabilities it built up in conventional plastic substrates to glass substrates. Together with its subsidiary YPT, which handles outsourced plating, it has continued glass substrate research since 2024. "In plating, not only materials but also process technology are important, and we have secured both materials and processes to create synergy," a company official said. The company forecasts that although the glass substrate market has not yet fully formed, growth will become visible between the second half of this year and next year.
Materials company YCChem (112290) has developed a "glass-copper adhesion improvement coating agent" that enhances the adhesion between copper wiring and glass, and it is currently undergoing customer evaluation. Semiconductor equipment manufacturer CNG Hightech has developed a technology that improves adhesion by firing a plasma ion beam to alter the properties of the glass surface. Customer evaluation of prototypes is underway, and the company expects commercialization by 2028 at the latest.