SAN JOSE, Calif. -- In a move to expand its solar business, Applied Materials Inc. has acquired the assets of Advent Solar Inc. for an undisclosed cash amount.
Advent Solar (Albuquerque, N.M.) provides IP and services to enable higher-valued cell and module products. Advent Solar provides its Ventura technology through a licensing model. Ventura is a comprehensive cell-to-module architecture
Advent achieves its cell-efficiency milestones by leveraging its Emitter-Wrap Through (EWT) back-contact technology, which is part of the Ventura solar architecture.
EWT eliminates grid obstruction, while still using cost effective fabrication processes and solar-grade materials, such as mainstream mono-silicon and UMG wafers. EWT cells are designed to provide high efficiency with the lowest-cost potential.
Ventura Solar Technology cells are designed to be used with Monolithic Module Assembly (MMA), a fully-automated module assembly process that applies proven semiconductor-style manufacturing techniques.
Advent Solar had raised $111 million since inception. It has a small production line in New Mexico.
"We believe the acquisition of Advent Solar will increase our opportunities to provide innovative solutions for reducing module production costs," said Mark Pinto, chief technology officer and general manager of Applied's Energy and Environmental Solutions Group, in a statement.
After the close of this transaction, Advent Solar's assets will be integrated with Applied's Energy and Environmental Solutions Group.
''We believe Applied's acquisition of the IP assets of Advent Solar strengthens Applied's c-Si equipment offering by providing customers next generation solar cell design to help improve cell efficiency,'' said Edwin Mok, an analyst at Needham & Co. LLC, in a report.
''While the deal is not material and is unlikely to have an effect on its financials near term, we believe it is necessary for Applied to further grow its c-Si offering. Additionally, it will enable Applied to expand its capex share in c-Si solar cell production. Applied has been quite successful making acquisitions in the c-Si solar area, and we see little integration risk on this deal,'' he said.
Applied is making a strong push in solar. In 2006, Applied completed the acquisition of Applied Films Corp., a supplier of thin film deposition equipment used in manufacturing flat panel displays, solar cells, flexible electronics and energy-efficient glass.
In 2007, Applied acquired Baccini S.p.A., a leading supplier of automated metallization and test systems for manufacturing crystalline silicon (c-Si) photovoltaic (PV) cells.
In the same year, Applied completed the acquisition of HCT Shaping Systems SA (HCT), the world's leading supplier of precision wafering systems for manufacturing crystalline silicon (c-Si) substrates for the solar industry.
Also in 2007, Applied introduced its SunFab Thin Film Line, an integrated production line for manufacturing thin film silicon solar modules using 5.7 square meter glass panels.
This year, Applied opened an advanced solar research and demonstration facility in Xi'an, China.
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