Natcore Technology Inc. announced that silicon wafers into working solar cells in an actual production line rather than in a laboratory setting. The wafers were given a black silicon etch by scientists of the company using the company's proprietary process. The wafers were then shipped to the photovoltaic manufacturer, a company with annual revenue exceeding $160 million and located in China's Hunan province.

Five batches of silicon wafers with a black silicon etch prepared by the company's scientists at their R&D center in Rochester, NY, under an exclusive license from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory were supplied to the Chinese company for cell finishing and testing. Two of the batches were used as controls to help interpret results. Of the three test batches, one had a diffusion using phosphorous oxychloride applied by the company; the remaining test batches were diffused by the Chinese company.

In all cases, the Chinese performed the final steps necessary to turn the wafers into solar cells and to test them. The completed cells are being returned to the company for further testing.