H.C. Starck - Molybdenum Sputtering Targets and Silicon Nitride Powders for the Photovoltaic Industry - PVSEC 2011

NEWTON, Massachusetts, August 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

As a world leader in vertically integrated manufacturing of molybdenum sputtering targets for back contacts in CIGS and CdTe solar modules, H.C. Starck is proud to be a sponsor of the Welcome Reception as well as exhibitor at this year's 26thEuropean PV Solar Energy Exhibition, September 5-9, in Hamburg, Germany. Samples of highly engineered planar and monolithic molybdenum rotary targets will be on display at their booth in Hall A4, Stand B20.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090625/NE38551LOGO )

H.C. Starck's monolithic rotary targets directly address the increasingly pressing need to improve the cost/watt ratio in the manufacturing of thin film PV modules by offering superior density, excellent uniformity, and custom design for increased lifetime.

Highly sought by customers in photovoltaics and flat panel display, advanced rotary target characteristics are achieved by extruding molybdenum in the largest press for refractory metals in North America. With 12 modern and well invested production sites globally, H.C. Starck offers exceptional support to its customers in Europe, North America, and Asia.

Completing H.C. Starck's product portfolio is its high grade Si3N4 powders that continue to meet the purity requirements set by ingot/wafer producers. Silica crucibles used for melting and crystallizing silicon are coated on their inside surface with a Si3N4 based coating, which facilitates an easy release of the ingot after finishing the production cycle, avoids impurities entering the silicon, and minimizes stress created during solidification.

During the show, Dr. Dmitry Shashkov, President and CEO of the Fabricated Products Division of H.C. Starck, will speak about "The Role of Molybdenum in Photovoltaics" in a recorded interview to be published in the Solar Leaders TV section of http://www.pv-tech.org.

"Photovoltaic industry is front and center of our growth strategy," says Dmitry Shashkov. "PV industry is finally approaching the grid parity - the self-sustained, subsidy-free growth phase. In this critical time, we at H.C. Starck view our role as that of material partner to the PV manufacturers, to bring our expertise in improved sputtering material and advanced target designs, so we can contribute to the growth of the industry."

Stop by and meet H.C. Starck's experienced technical staff: Dr. Francois Dary, Dr. Thomas Schmidt, Peter Faustmann, Michael Drost, and Cristian Cretu to learn about the innovations and development of value-added product solutions for the PV industry.

About H.C. Starck

H.C. Starck is a leading global supplier of refractory metals and technical ceramics, and serves growing industries such as the electronics, chemicals, automotive, medical technology, aerospace, energy technology, and environmental technology industries, as well as mechanical engineering and tool manufacturers. H.C. Starck has 12 manufacturing facilities located in Europe, America, and Asia, with close to 3,000 employees worldwide.