Applied bets on a bright solar future

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http://www.statesman.com/business/content/business/stories/technology/03/24/0324applied.html

Applied bets on a bright solar future

By Kirk Ladendorf
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Monday, March 24, 2008

The boomlet in the fledgling solar power industry may slow dramatically next year, according to a new market research report, but Applied Materials Inc. is undeterred.

Applied, the leading maker of semiconductor manufacturing equipment is pushing hard to expand its solar-power equipment business, shifting hundreds of jobs to the new market and landing record-setting deals.

For now, Applied is making the equipment in Germany, where government incentives promote solar power, Italy and Taiwan.

In the past, it has hinted broadly that it might consider making the equipment in Texas, where it has about 2,500 employees and its U.S. manufacturing headquarters for chip-making equipment.

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Applied Materials makes solar panel equipment, designs factories to make panels and installs equipment. A computer-generated image shows a mock-up of a solar panel processing line.