Applied Ventures, LLC, the venture capital fund of Applied Materials, Inc., has invested $3 million in Solaicx, a manufacturer of cost-effective, single-crystal silicon wafers for the solar photovoltaic industry.
Solaicx plans to use the investment to expand its business with a second U.S. manufacturing site, scheduled for 2007 operation. Solaicx’s technology is based on a proprietary, continuous Czochralski crystal growing methodology that enables high-volume manufacturing of cost-effective, high-quality ingots for conversion into solar wafers. The Solaicx crystal growing equipment is expected to be up to five times more productive than traditional CZ systems that were designed primarily for the semiconductor industry.
“Our investment in Solaicx aligns well with Applied Materials’ solar strategy and enables Applied to expand its presence in the solar value chain,” said J. Christopher Moran, vice president and general manager of Applied Ventures. “Applied is committed to providing the solar industry with technology and process innovations to reduce the cost per watt of solar power. Solaicx meets these requirements — offering improved manufacturing technology to facilitate the streamlined manufacturing of solar cell wafers.”
Applied Materials, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMAT) is a leader in Nanomanufacturing Technology(TM) solutions for the fabrication of semiconductor chip, flat panels, solar photovoltaic cells, flexible electronics and energy efficient glass.
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