Sharp in solar cell joint venture
Japan's Sharp Corporation and Tokyo Electron will establish a joint venture to develop production equipment for solar cells, the Nikkei business daily reports. The venture will develop equipment for thin-film solar cells, which need less silicon than conventional solar cells, at Tokyo Electron's production site in Yamanashi Prefecture west of Tokyo. Sharp is investing heavily in the solar cell market and is building a 100 billion yen factory for thin-film solar cells in Osaka Prefecture. Tokyo Electron is the world's second-largest chip equipment maker. The venture will be capitalised at about 100 million yen. Tokyo Electron will take a 60% stake while Sharp takes the remaining 40%. REUTERS