Currently, the dominant photovoltaic materials in the market are crystalline silicon materials, including polysilicon and monocrystalline silicon. These materials hold a market share of over 90% and are expected to maintain their mainstream position in the solar cell industry for a considerable period of time. The production technology for polysilicon materials is primarily controlled by 10 factories owned by 7 companies in 3 countries, namely the United States, Japan, and Germany. This technological blockade and market monopoly have played a significant role in shaping the industry.
The demand for polysilicon stems mainly from its use in semiconductors and solar cells. The required purity level determines whether it falls into the category of electronic grade or solar grade polysilicon. Presently, electronic grade polysilicon accounts for approximately 55% of the market share, while solar grade polysilicon represents the remaining 45%. However, due to the rapid growth of the photovoltaic industry, the demand for polysilicon in solar cells is projected to surpass that of electronic grade polysilicon by 2008.
The global solar cell production has witnessed a remarkable surge over the past decade. In 1994, the total output of solar cells across the world was a mere 69MW. However, by the year 2004, this figure had skyrocketed to nearly 1200MW, demonstrating a staggering 17-fold increase in just a decade.