Sino-American Silicon Products (SAS), a Taiwan-based professional maker of silicon wafers, solar wafers and sapphire wafers and Solartech Energy, a Taiwan-based maker of crystalline silicon solar cells, on March 11 announced the formation of a strategic alliance via swapping new shares, with SAS to become a 10%-stakeholder in Solartech and the latter to hold a stake of 5% in the former.

Based on the deal, each Sino-American share will be exchanged for 1.2669 Solartech shares. Both parties expect to expand the scale of operation and improve the viability of the solar industry through the strategic alliance.