Applied Materials just announced that one of its largest clients has reduced the amount of their order for its Sunfab thin-film solar product by 85%. In March of last year, Applied Materials announced that they had received a $1.9 billion order from a nameless company, but as the global crisis has deepened, that order has been reduced to $250 million.
In an article published by Reuters, Gary Hsueh, an analyst for Oppenheimer, commented on the … Read the rest
Applied Materials won an important victory against Oerlikon Corp in European patent court on Tuesday. The court revoked a patent that had been issued to a Swiss university and licensed to Oerlikon. Applied Materials had been accused of violating the patent with its Sun-Fab thin film manufacturing process.
However, according to Reuters, Applied Materials has not seen the last of Oerlikon (or its lawyers):
"This is not a final decision yet," said an Oerlikon … Read the rest
Applied Materials just announced a collaboration with DISCO Corp to develop wafer thinning processes for manufacturing through-silicon vias in 3-dimensional semiconductors. The companies will combine respective skills to develop standardized processing procedures to lower the cost, reduce the risk and increase the speed of manufacturing next-generation through-silicon via chips.
From a company press release, here’s more about the technical side of the process, what each company will bring to the collaboration, and why it is … Read the rest
Applied Materials has announced that it plans to expand its facility in Xi’an, China. The announcement comes after China’s Vice Premier Li Keqiang toured the facility, which focuses on SunFab’ thin-film modules, c-Si testing and R&D. Applied Materials has now started "Phase 2" of the project, which will turn the facility into a Global Solar R&D Center for crystalline silicon and thin-film solar.
Charles Gay, Applied Solar’s President and the co-chair of the Renewable Energy … Read the rest
ENN Solar Energy Co., Ltd just announced that through its partnership with Applied Materials it has produced China’s first 5.7 SQM Tandem Junction Solar Panels. The panels were manufactured at ENN’s Langfang, China facility using Applied Material’s SunFab™ Thin Film Line. The panels are almost 4 times larger than conventional panels and they have a higher conversion efficiency thanks to Applied Material’s tandem junction technology.
Dr. Randhir Thakur, senior vice president and general manager of … Read the rest
Applied Materials just launched a revolutionary new product called the HCT MaxEdge Wire Saw. Why is this revolutionary? The saw uses a dual-wire management system with four independently-controlled direct drive motors and advanced process control to reduce wire tension. Lower wire tension reduces wire wear, decreases ingot scrap and unplanned downtime, and most importantly, allows silicon to be cut into thinner wafers without reducing their throughput capacity. So, solar PV manufacturers will be able to … Read the rest
Applied Materials (AMAT) is trading down after hours after reporting no profits which was in line with analyst estimates on revenues of 1.33 billion, a touch below estimates. That compares with a .25/share profit in the year ago quarter.
“We acted early and decisively to reduce costs in line with economic conditions that have resulted in an unprecedented decline in demand,” said Mike Splinter, president and CEO. “With our leading technology and strong balance sheet, … Read the rest
Applied Materials, Inc, announced that its SunFab solar modules are now IEC-Certified. The certification shows that the modules have been tested to withstand extreme environmental conditions and should reduce the time it takes to put the modules on the market.
Dr. Randhir Thakur, Senior Vice President, General Manager, Applied Materials’ SunFab Thin Film Solar and Display Business Group, commented on the certification, saying
… Read the rest“IEC certification is recognized around the world as the gold standard for
Applied Materials released its brand-new Applied Centura® Silvia™Etch system today. This new system is a step forward for Applied Materials because it allows higher performance silicon etching at a lower cost for through-silicon via (TSV) applications. The Silvia system uses the company’s proprietary time-multiplexed gas modulation (TMGM) process, resulting in a higher silicon etch rate and lower operating costs.
… Read the restEllie Yieh, Applied Materials’ VP of the Etch and Cleans Business Unit, explained why the new
According to StreetInsider.com, Citi is maintaining its HOLD rating but lowering the price target from $20 to $11.
The firm notes –
“If there was a surprise here it was the magnitude of poor order guide and the capitulation that this could take a full year to sort out. More broadly, the fact that orders are simply not flowing through to revenue/EPS means that AMAT’s backlog continues to balloon (>10mnths in Q109) and backlog … Read the rest