New MEMS White Paper

Download the latest Logitech white paper and learn more about MEMS processing technology and techniques

News

18 July 2007

 

Applied recruits Nanosolar’s chief scientist and CIGS PV expert Eberspacher to lead solar R&D

Process equipment maker Applied Materials Inc of Santa Clara, CA, USA says that Dr Chris Eberspacher has joined its Solar Business Group to head its advanced R&D programs. Reporting to the group’s chief technology officer, Dr Winfried Hoffmann, he will lead efforts for both silicon and non-silicon based solar materials.

Eberspacher has a doctorate degree in applied physics from Stanford University and 25 years of experience in solar development. He began his career at California-based ARCO Solar Inc (which later became Siemens Solar Industries, and now Shell Solar), where he led development teams in crystalline silicon and thin-film solar cell technologies. Most recently, Eberspacher made pioneering contributions to nanoparticle-based thin-film copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) solar cell technology at Unisun of Camarillo, CA (which he founded in 1993) and then Nanosolar Inc of Palo Alto, CA, a solar start-up focused on roll-to-roll processing of thin-film photovoltaic (PV) products, where he was lately chief scientist.

Applied Materials has the “expertise, experience and resources necessary to provide the solar industry with the high-volume, low-cost manufacturing infrastructure needed to achieve grid-competitive solar electric power”, says Eberspacher.

“We are excited to have Chris join the Applied Materials team at a time of great business and technology momentum for our group,” said Charlie Gay, VP and general manager of Applied’s Solar Business Group. “He brings a wealth of practical experience in advanced PV technologies that will be critical to delivering next-generation nano-manufacturing innovations that will drive future solar cost reductions.”

Despite its focus on silicon chip making equipment and entering the solar manufacturing equipment sector just last summer (after the $464m acquisition of Applied Films Inc of Longmont, CO, a maker of physical vapor deposition-based thin-film deposition equipment for flat-panel display manufacturing), by mid-May Applied had taken orders for $300m of solar equipment contracts this fiscal year (to end-October), already exceeding its $200m target. The firm is now forecasting solar contracts valued at more than $400m this fiscal year (well on target to exceed its longer-term goal of $450-500m by 2010).

See related item:

Emerging PV technologies growing at 43% annually

Visit: http://www.appliedmaterials.com