Your daily dose of photovoltaic technology developments and solar news

Applied Materials has now completed its total acquisition of Semitool. This purchase is designed to expand Applied's presence in the high-growth wafer packaging market as well as offering a platform for complementary systems and technology for advanced semiconductor manufacturing.

Applied Materials has been granted early termination of the waiting period connected to its $11.00 per share cash tender offer for all outstanding shares of Semitool. The early termination comes by way of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice, under the Hart-Scott Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976.

The recent asset acquisition of Advent Solar’s c-Si Emitter-Wrap Through (EWT) back-contact cell technology and cell-to-module solar architecture by Applied Materials is not expected to generate sales until sometime in 2011, according Mike Splinter, Applied’s President & Chief Executive Officer in a conference call discussing quarterly results.

The struggling start-up, Advent Solar, which had already closed its solar module manufacturing line, several rounds of layoffs and shifted its business model to Intellectual Property (IP) provider, has been acquired by Applied Materials for an undisclosed sum. Applied said that the assets of Advent Solar would be integrated with Applied’s Energy and Environmental Solutions Group.

As developments to the company’s SunFab thin-film module manufacturing line continue, Applied Materials has managed to cut the cost of materials on the line by 22%. The company’s next-generation module technology was applied to establish some process efficiency updates, coupled with new lower pricing arrangements with materials suppliers.

Applied Materials has installed and qualified one of its Baccini back-end lines for double-printing solar-cell applications at Motech Solar's volume production facility in Tainan, Taiwan. Applied’s recently announced Esatto technology will be used to manufacture Motech's new crystalline-silicon cell design.

KSK Surya Photovoltaic Venture, a subsidiary of KSK Power Ventur, independent power provider in India, has signed a contract with Applied Materials, to purchase two Applied SunFab thin-film lines for manufacturing 5.7m² solar panels. The SunFab lines are to be installed in a new facility with projected annual capacity of 150MW.

DuPont and Applied Materials have teamed to boost the performance of c-Si solar cells. Applied is focusing on reduce the shadowing effect of wide grid lines on solar cells employing its Baccini ‘Esatto’ technology and customized formulations of DuPont’s  ‘Solamet’ metallization paste.

LDK Solar has successfully undertaken factory acceptance testing of more than 50 of Applied Materials' new HCT MaxEdge wire saws for volume wafer production. Installations are due to be finished in October, 2009, the company said.

Applied Materials has made important changes to its organization and senior executive positions as Tom St. Dennis, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Applied’s Silicon Systems Group and its main source of revenue has resigned from the company, effective October 2, 2009. The main beneficiary within Applied’s corporate ranks would seem to be Randhir Thakur (pictured) as he will take over the running of the Silicon Systems Group. Thakur had only recently been tasked with running Applied’s SunFab thin film operations and was the Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Display and SunFab Solar Group.

Applied Materials' Baccini Esatto technology will be used for the company's Baccini back-end solar cell processing systems. The Esatto technology, featuring proprietary hardware and software innovations, is designed to increase the efficiency of c-Si solar cells by enabling the fabrication of advanced contact structures.

Two of the major thin film solar module manufacturers, First Solar and Sharp Corporation have already done major deals with utilities in which dedicated manufacturing plants within a designated region will service PV projects undertaken by the utility. Now, Applied Materials has announced a new business model that also targets this integrated approach, dubbed ‘Solar fab2farm.’ Using its ‘SunFab’ thin film turnkey production line, Applied is touting the need to have locally produced modules and solar power plants that creates localised renewable energy ecosystems that could have significant local economic benefits.

VLSI Research, Inc. has revealed its Top 10 PV manufacturing equipment supply companies (see table below) for last year, with Applied Materials’ near-$800 million in revenues ranking them at the top of the pile. Coming in second is Oerlikon Solar, followed by GT Solar International, Gebr. Schmid and centrotherm photovoltaics AG. All three had revenues in excess of $500 million.

As the first Chinese thin-film manufacturer to produce tandem junction cells on a production line, ENN Solar Energy Co., Ltd. has passed another milestone with its receipt of certification from TÜV InterCert for its tandem junction silicon thin-film solar modules. This certification confirms that the modules comply with the IEC’s requirements, and effectively passes the modules for sale in European and U.S. markets.

Applied Materials has received International Electrotechnical Commission certification for both the single- and tandem-junction versions of the 5.7 m² solar photovoltaic modules produced by its SunFab thin film line. Tests run by TÜV InterCert confirmed that the large-area amorphous-silicon panels meet IEC standards 61646 and 61730.

Applied Materials Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Mike Splinter, expects capital spending in the photovoltaics industry to decline by approximately 50% in 2009 as access to capital, over-capacity and weaker demand due to the global economic recession is limiting PV manufacturers' expansion plans this year.

Sunfilm AG has become the first Applied Materials SunFab thin-film customer to qualify tandem junction cells for volume production. Factory acceptance was said to have taken place on April 14, 2009, with module efficiencies of up to 8%. Sunfilm AG was established at the end of 2006 by Good Energies and NorSun and is located in Grossroehrsdorf, Germany.

Green Energy Technology, Inc. (GET) has completed the certification process for its SunFab Thin Film Line, allowing for the Applied Materials thin-film product to be used in the production of Taiwan’s largest solar panels. GET had begun pilot production of the SunFab panels late last year at its facility in Tao Yuan, Taiwan.

Applied Materials has filed a document with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that acknowledges a $1.9 billion sales agreement signed in March 2008 to supply its SunFab tandem-junction amorphous-silicon thin-film PV turnkey production lines to an unnamed customer has shrunk to $250 million. The capital equipment company blamed "subsequent deterioration in global economic and financial market conditions" for the writedown.

Applied Materials has claimed that the European Patent Office (EPO) has revoked a Patent No. EP 0 871 979, which is at the centre of a patent infringement case Oerlikon filed in June, 2008 in the German District Court of Duesseldorf, against SunFilm AG, a customer of Applied Materials ‘SunFab’ thin film technology and production line equipment.

Applied Materials is set to expand its ‘SunFab’ thin-film module and c-Si testing and R&D facility in Xi’an, China, after a tour at the facility, which was opened in 2008 by Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang. Claimed to be the first facility of its kind in China, Applied Materials said it had recently broken ground on phase two of its new ‘Global Solar R&D Center,’ which will include R&D, engineering, demonstration, validation and training for both crystalline silicon and thin-film solar equipment and processes.

ENN Solar Energy Co., Ltd. has produced its first tandem junction thin film modules at its 60MW ‘SunFab’ line, claiming the first Chinese based thin film manufacturer to produce tandem junction cells on a production line. ENN Solar has previously planned production to start in the 1Q09.

Two of the leading players in the amorphous-silicon thin-film PV turnkey factory competition have announced important customer production ramps. Applied Materials says that vertically integrated Spanish concern T-Solar Global has begun volume production of large (5.7 m²) panels at its fab using the tool supplier's SunFab line, while Oerlikon Solar is touting the ramp of Sun Well Solar's 40-MW amorphous thin-film silicon production line in Taiwan, which was completed one month ahead of schedule.

United States House and Senate leaders came to an agreement last Wednesday on the so-called American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and President Obama is set to sign the economic stimulus package tomorrow.

Although recently crowned the largest equipment supplier to the photovoltaics industry by a market research firm, Applied Materials isn’t immune from order push-outs and cancellations as the PV manufacturing supply chain struggles with the lack of credit to finance business growth. In its FY1Q09 conference call, Applied’s executives noted that its EES (Energy and Environmental Solutions) b4usiness unit, which incorporates its solar sales, saw revenue of approximately US$800 million in 2008. The expectation is that sales will exceed this figure in 2009, though specific guidance was not given.

At 40MW capacity, Moser Baer’s manufacturing plant in Greater Noida is the largest thin-film solar line in India, and preparation for commencement of production of thin-film PV modules is underway. The announcement was made today amid news of achievement of final acceptance test (FAT) certification of the company’s SunFab Thin Film Line, which was supplied by Applied Materials, Inc. The final certification comes less than a week after AMAT was granted IEC 61646 and 61730 verification for its single and tandem junction (1.1m x 1.3m) PV modules.

Applied Materials, Inc. has been awarded certification by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) for its single and tandem junction PV modules. Standards 61646 and 61730 involve safety testing of PV modules under severe environmental conditions, and the stamp of approval for the products from the IEC will aid in shortening time-to-market for the modules as well as speeding up the certification process for Applied’s customers.

Green Energy Technology has become the latest company--and the first in Taiwan--employing Applied Materials' SunFab amorphous-silicon thin-film PV module turnkey manufacturing line technology to achieve volume production status. The Taiwanese firm said it will reach an annualized capacity of 30 MW on its Generation 8.5 large-area glass line in the first quarter of 2009, and then ramp to 50 MW by the fourth quarter.

It was an interesting year for the thin-film industry, with Applied Materials’ first ‘SunFab’ turnkey 5.7m2 glass substrate (amorphous Si) thin-film modules. Several companies have jumped on this technology, one of the most prominent of which was Best Solar, who we saw place a $1.9 billion order for the company’s SunFab lines in March.

Looking back over the year these are the stories that have made the headlines and been viewed the most by the audience at PV-Tech in the Fab and Facilities section. Take a look at the biggest stories involving Q-Cells, SunPower, Masdar, Applied Materials, Arise and Signet Solar.

Masdar City, Abu Dhabi is aiming to be the world’s first zero carbon, zero waste, car-free city powered entirely by renewable energy sources. This ambitious goal is being driven by the Masdar Initiative, a strategic endeavour by Abu Dhabi to spread the dogma of sustainability and clean energy throughout the city’s dwellers, industries and utilities.

Suntech Power Holdings' first thin-film line using Applied Materials' ‘SunFab’ turnkey technology will complete installation by the end of the year, noted Dr. Stuart Wenham, Suntech’s Chief Technology Officer, during a conference call with financial analysts.

Signet Solar has produced and shipped its first MW of panels from its Mochau, Germany manufacturing facility only one month after it became the first licensee of Applied Material’s SunFab thin-film modules. The first shipments are being sent to Hannover-based alfsolar Vertriebsgesellschaft GmbH. Other Signet customers include Phoenix Solar AG, Soleg GmbH, Goldbeck Solar GmbH and SolarMarkt AG.

Sunnyvale, California is the location of the U.S.’s first corporate campus-based solar power system, where Applied Materials has had installed two SunPower technology-based facilities totalling 2.1MW. The two systems comprise a 950KW SunPower PowerGuard installation and a 1.2MW SunPower Tracker installation. SunPower in turn uses Applied Materials’ Baccini Technology in its cell manufacturing process.

LDK Solar has placed a $220 million order with Applied Materials for its precision wafering systems as the company aggressively ramps c-Si wafer production as part of its plan to reach 3.2GW capacity in 2010. The systems are scheduled to begin shipping to LDK Solar's facility in Xinyu, China, in early 2009. According to Applied Materials, this is the largest single wafering order ever placed.

Green Energy Technology Inc. (GET) has signed a five-year service contract with Applied Materials to support GET’s ‘SunFab’ production line, located in Taiwan. Get also produces multi-crystalline silicon wafers.

Applied Materials is expanding its equipment manufacturing capabilities in Taiwan with the construction of an extension to its Tainan Manufacturing Center at a cost of $17 million. Demand for its AKT flat panel display equipment and SunFab Thin Film Solar equipment was the reason for the expansion, which should be completed in mid-2009, Applied said.

Applied Materials has announced that it has won its first customer in Italy for its ‘SunFab’ 5.7m2 turnkey thin-film line. The new customer is Moncada Energy Group s.r.l., a leading private Italian producer of renewable energy currently using wind farm technology. Moncada is expected to build a 40MW plant in Campofranco, Sicily.

A groundbreaking ceremony for the new Applied Materials Operations Center at Changi North Industrial Park in Singapore took place earlier today, and saw the attendance of several Applied Materials executives, including Mike Splinter, company President and CEO. Chairman of the Singapore Economic Development Board Lim Siong Guan and U.S. Ambassador Patricia Herbold were also present for the ceremony.

A new thin-film amorphous photovoltaic manufacturing company has been formed under the Masdar Initiative, Abu Dhabi's renewable energy program, dubbed Masdar PV. The new company will initially invest $600 million in two separate SunFab turnkey 5.7 m² module production lines supplied by Applied Materials in Erfurt, Germany and in Abu Dhabi. Total investment has been put as $2 billion with an expected capacity in excess of 1GW of annual production by 2014. The combined initial production capacity of the two sites was said to be 210 megawatts, with the capacity already committed to PV system installers in Europe and projects for Masdar itself.

Sunfilm AG has placed its second turnkey ‘SunFab’ tandem junction thin-film line order with Applied Materials. The first line (60MW) is due to come on stream in July 2008 using a tandem junction cell for greater conversion efficiencies, using ultra-large 5.7m² glass substrates. The second line is expected to become operational in approximately one year from the start-up of the first line.

Applied Materials has launched a program that supports customers of its PV thin-film ‘SunFab’ turnkey production line with specific guarantees in respect to ramp, efficiency optimization and productivity as well as enabling continuous cost reductions based on megawatt output. Applied said that it has also signed a multiyear agreement for the service with T-Solar Global S.A. of Spain.

Applied Materials executives gave a strong hint that the era of a ‘Giga’ watt thin film solar production plant using its SunFab manufacturing line technology was close at hand during its first quarter conference call with financial analysts yesterday.

Applied Materials has been named Green Energy Innovator of the Year for its pioneering work on the Applied ‘SunFab’ Thin Film Line, at a gala presenting the 9th Annual Platts Global Energy Awards.

Family run and privately held Baccini S.p.A, a specialist equipment manufacturer in the field of crystalline silicon (c-Si) photovoltaic (PV) cells, has been acquired by Applied Materials for $330 million in cash. Baccini was founded in 1967 and is regarded as an innovator in automated material handling, especially in respect to ultra-thin solar wafers. The transaction is expected to close in early 2008, according to the companies.

XinAo Group, a company with an energy- and engineering-related history of over 10 years, has become the latest new entrant to the solar market with plans to build a 500MW thin film large substrate plant in China, employing Applied Materials’ turnkey ‘SunFab’ equipment production line. A contract was signed on November 13, 2007.

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.

Overall revenues are expected to be flat, down 5 percent for Applied Materials' next financial quarter due to memory manufacturers' CapEx spending declining.  With little boost in spending coming from the major foundries, the ray of sunshine is coming from the company's thin-film solar equipment sales, according to Michael Splinter, President and Chief Executive Officer of Applied Materials.

Green Energy Technology has awarded Applied Materials with a contract to supply a complete production line for thin film solar modules using ultra-large 5.7m2 glass panels. Applied will deliver the fully integrated line of equipment for the new facility being built in TaoYuan, Taiwan in the first half of 2008 with production expected later that year. The facility will have a nominal rated capacity of 40 megawatts per year.

Continuing its strategic focus on the solar cell manufacturing market, Applied Materials has made another major acquisition in the solar equipment sector with the purchase of Switzerland-based HCT Shaping Systems SA, the largest specialist in wafer sawing tools for both solar and semiconductor wafer markets.

Applied Materials has won a turnkey fully integrated thin film silicon solar PV module production line order using large glass substrates. The start-up, Signet Solar, plans a solar module manufacturing plant in Dresden, Germany, targeting grid parity by 2010.

Applied Materials has landed another complete solar panel manufacturing deal that will use large substrate technology. This time the deal is with T-Solar Global S.A. of Spain and will be Europe's first thin film solar module production line using ultra-large 5.7m² (2.2m x 2.6m) glass panels, according to Applied. The facility is expected to become operational by mid-2008. 

As part of its attempt to become a shining light in the fast emerging solar energy manufacturing market, Applied Materials wants to lead by example and so has announced that it will be installing over 1.9 megawatts of solar power generation capability at its research campus in Sunnyvale, California.

Applied Materials, Inc., via its venture capital fund, Applied Ventures, LLC has invested $3.0 million US dollars in Solaicx, a privately owned manufacturer of single-crystal silicon wafers specifically designed for the solar photovoltaic (PV) industry.

Product Briefing Outline: Applied Materials has launched the ‘Applied HCT Diamond Squarer’ system at EU PVSEC. The new system is claimed to reduce the cost of squaring silicon ingots by up to one-third while offering at least twice the cutting speed of conventional squaring processes, due to the use of novel diamond wire technology.  The diamond wire technology is also available for its currently-installed HCT Squarer systems as an upgrade kit.

Product Briefing Outline: Applied Materials has launched a new unified platform for slicing ingots into ultra-thin wafers that caters for both high-volume production and R&D applications. Applied’s HCT ‘MaxEdge’ wire saw system is the first in the industry to employ a dual-wire management system that is claimed to offer significantly higher throughput (double) and load capacity than competitive systems. The compact footprint requires less factory floor space and fewer operators for equivalent megawatt output...

Product Briefing Outline: Applied Materials has introduced the ‘Applied E3’ advanced equipment and process control solution, intended to be a comprehensive factory automation (FA) software package for improving the productivity and reducing the costs of semiconductor, flat panel display and photovoltaic solar cell manufacturing. The modular packages utilize proprietary algorithms that are claimed to boost process capability by >30 percent, reduce unscheduled downtime, and shorten cycle time to achieve up to a 20 percent increase in overall equipment effectiveness. Applied Materials said the system has already been employed by multiple major manufacturers and is currently being used in volume production.

The increasing cost of conventional energy and the rising carbon levels in the atmosphere have re-focused the energy agenda on to alternative energy sources. We make no secret at Photovoltaics International that we believe that PV offers the best opportunity to mitigate climate change and increase global renewable energy production dramatically over the next five years. If the PV manufacturing industry can achieve scale production, then the effect on system and operating costs will substantially lower the cost of energy.