Applied Materials Stops Selling Turnkey Solar Production Lines to Focus on c-Si Solar and LEDs
Source/Type: News - Staff reports

Author: CompoundSemi News Staff

July 22, 2010... Applied Materials, Inc. announced plans to restructure its Energy and Environmental Solutions (EES) segment to focus on crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar and advanced energy, including LED technology. The restructuring is expected to decrease the company's operating expenses by $100 million annually. The plan is intended to make EES a profitable segment in fiscal year 2011. The company will discontinue sales to new customers of its SunFab fully-integrated lines (turn-key) line for producing crystaline silicon Solar. However, the company will continue to sell individual chemical vapor deposition and physical vapor deposition systems to crystalline silicon thin-film solar makers. Applied's solar R&D center in Xi'an, China will reportedly concentrate on advancing its c-Si solar and other technologies. Applied Materieals is expected to use money awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act towards improving the cost effectiveness of MOCVD systems, especially for the production of LEDs.(Ref: Coverage).

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