Applied Materials Inc., an equipment supplier to the solar photovoltaic industry, says that GCL-Poly Energy Holdings Ltd., a China-based producer of polysilicon wafers for solar PV applications, has placed a significant order for Applied's HCT B5 wire saws.
The systems, which represent more than 2.5 GW of wafering capacity, are scheduled to begin shipping to GCL-Poly's production facilities in Suzhou, Changzhou and Taicang, China, in the current calendar quarter of this year.
In addition, GCL-Poly has purchased Applied E3 automation software for process monitoring and control, and extended maintenance support.