Applied Materials Inc. Tuesday launched its strategy to enter the growing solar photovoltaic (PV) equipment market. Applied Materials will provide manufacturing tools and technology and process innovations from the flat panel and semiconductor industries that will enable customers to increase conversion efficiency and yields, which will help lower the cost per watt for solar electricity.
“We plan to change the cost equation for solar power through the adaptation of our existing technology and new innovation in order to help make solar a more meaningful contributor to the global energy supply,” said Mike Splinter, president and CEO.
Mark Pinto, senior vice president and chief technology officer added: “We have assembled a team of industry veterans who, combined with our global reach and technology leadership in semiconductors and flat panel display equipment, can enable customers to move through the expected transition from small-scale 20MW to 40MW factories to sophisticate gigawatt-level facilities.”
This week, at the European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference in Dresden, Germany, Applied is showing several PVD(1) and PECVD(1) products in addition to processes, material-handling technologies and services to support solar cell production for crystalline-silicon and thin-film solar applications.
The overall solar equipment market is anticipated to increase from $1 billion in 2006 to more than $3 billion in 2010.