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MEMC Electronic Materials Inc. (WFR) VCA Stocks: Environmental -> Alternative Energy -> Solar Cell Equipment and Materials

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MEMC Electronic Materials, Inc., is a manufacturer and seller of wafers.

With manufacturing and research and development facilities in the United States, Europe and Asia Pacific, the Company enables high performance semiconductor and solar applications. The Company’s customers include semiconductor device and solar cell (device) manufacturers. It provides wafers in sizes ranging from 100 millimeters (4 inch) to 300 millimeters (12 inch). The Company also sells intermediate products, such as polysilicon, silane gas, ingots and scrap wafers to semiconductor device and equipment makers, solar cell and module manufacturers, flat panel and other industries. On November 20, 2009, the Company acquired Sun Edison LLC (SunEdison). The Company is engaged in three industry segments: Semiconductor Materials, Solar Materials and Solar Energy. In July 2010, MEMC Electronic Materials, Inc. acquired Solaicx Inc..

Semiconductor Materials Segment

The Company offers wafers with a range of features. Its wafers vary in size, surface features, composition, purity levels, crystal properties and electrical properties. Its monocrystalline wafers for use in semiconductor applications range in size from 100 millimeter to 300 millimeter and are round in shape for semiconductor customers. The Company’s wafers are used as the starting material for the manufacture of semiconductor devices, including microprocessor, memory, logic and power devices. In turn, these semiconductor devices are used in computers, cellular phones and other mobile electronic devices, automobiles and other consumer and industrial products. The Company’s monocrystalline wafers for semiconductor applications include four categories of wafers: prime, epitaxial, test/monitor wafers and silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafers.

The Company’s prime wafer is a polished, refined wafer with an ultraflat and ultraclean surface. The prime wafers are manufactured with a chemical-mechanical polishing process that removes defects and leaves an extremely smooth surface. Its OPTIA wafer is a 100% defect-free crystalline structure based on its technologies and processes, including Magic Denuded Zone (MDZ). The Company’s epitaxial (epi) wafers consist of a thin silicon layer grown on the polished surface of the wafer. Its AEGIS product is designed for certain specialized applications requiring resistivity epitaxial wafers and its MDZ product feature. The AEGIS wafer includes a thin epitaxial layer grown on a standard starting wafer.

The Company supplies test/monitor wafers to its customers for their use in testing semiconductor fabrication lines and processes. A Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) wafer is a different starting material for the chip making process. SOI wafers have three layers: a thin surface layer of silicon (from a few hundred Angstrom to several microns thick) where the transistors are formed, an underlying layer of insulating material and a support or handle bulk silicon wafer.

The Company competes with Shin-Etsu Handotai, SUMCO, Wacker Siltronic and Covalent.

Solar Materials Segment

The Company’s solar wafers are used as the starting material for crystalline solar cells. Customers using crystalline wafers for solar applications utilize wafers that are square or pseudo-square in nature so that they fit optimally into solar modules (panels) and convert energy from the sun into usable electrical energy. The Company focuses on increasing its ability to manufacture and sell monocrystalline wafers.

The Company competes with LDK Solar, Renesola, Jiangsu Shunda, M. Setek, SAS (Sino American Silicon Products), Hemlock Semiconductor Corporation, Wacker Polysilicon, REC Group, SolarWorld AG, Yingli and Trina Solar.

Solar Energy Segment (d/b/a SunEdison)

Through its SunEdison subsidiary, the Company provides solar energy services with over 330 solar energy systems, representing approximately 108 megawatts of solar energy generating capacity under management as of December 31, 2009. SunEdison has also sold more than fine megawatts of solar energy systems through direct sales to end-use customers where no operation and maintenance services are provided. Its SunEdison business provides solar energy services that integrate the design, installation, financing, monitoring, operations and maintenance portions of the downstream solar market to provide services to its customers. The Company’s SunEdison business is focused on the installation of solar energy systems that are connected to the electricity grid.

The Company competes with Corporation, First Solar, Inc., Recurrent Energy, Inc., T-Solar Global, S.A. and Fotowatio Renewable Ventures.

More Information for MEMC Electronic Materials Inc. (WFR):

Company Website - http://www.memc.com
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