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Applied Materials has officially opened its new research and development center in Alzenau, Germany that includes its recently launched ‘SunFab’ Thin Film Line of integrated tools for large substrate solar panel manufacturing. The SunFab Technology Center occupies a 2,000m² area and houses Applied Materials' PECVD and ‘ATON’ PVD systems, laser tools and fab automation software.

"This center is a demonstration of Applied Materials' commitment to accelerating the growth of the solar market, advancing PV technology and reducing the cost of solar energy," said Mark Pinto, Senior Vice President, CTO and General Manager, Applied Materials' Energy and Environmental Solutions group. "Our customers need to rapidly reach high volume production to meet the demands of the growing market and this facility will enable them to do that quickly and efficiently."
   
The facility is intended to be Applied Materials' principal solar R&D facility as well as an evaluation center to test key systems and processes with customers for existing crystalline silicon and thin film applications.