TOKYO, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Japan's Sharp Corp (6753.T: Quote, Profile, Research), fighting to remain the top maker of solar cells, will tie up with microchip equipment maker Tokyo Electron Ltd (8035.T: Quote, Profile, Research) in the solar cell market amid growing demand for clean energy.

An announcement would come later in the day, Tokyo Electron said on Monday.

Sharp, which is building a 100 billion yen ($925 million) factory for thin-film solar cells, and rivals such as Germany's Q-Cells (QCEG.DE: Quote, Profile, Research) are vying to boost production capacity for solar cells amid tightening supplies of silicon.

The two will establish a joint venture to develop production equipment for thin-film solar cells, which use less silicon than conventional solar cells, the Nikkei business daily said.

The venture will be capitalised at about 100 million yen and will be held 60 percent by Tokyo Electron, the world's No. 2 chip equipment maker after Applied Materials Inc (AMAT.O: Quote, Profile, Research), while Sharp takes the remaining 40 percent, the paper said.

"The details of the report are not right," said a Tokyo Electron spokesman, who declined to elaborate.

The Nikkei said the two would make the equipment at Tokyo Electron's production site in Yamanashi Prefecture west of Tokyo and supply the equipment to Sharp.