Corporate | 25 June 2008 09:00
Roth & Rau AG / Miscellaneous
Release of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a company of EquityStory
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The issuer / publisher is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
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- World-recognized solar cell manufacturing equipment to be installed in
SVTC Solar’s new Silicon Valley Photovoltaic Development Center
SAN JOSE, Calif./Hohenstein-Ernstthal (June 25, 2008) – SVTC Technologies,
a leading independent semiconductor process-development foundry, announced
that it has signed a collaboration agreement with world-recognized solar
equipment manufacturer Roth & Rau AG of Germany. Under the agreement, Roth
& Rau will collaborate with SVTC’s SVTC Solar business unit and provide a
complete silicon wafer solar cell development and manufacturing line for
SVTC Solar’s new Silicon Valley Photovoltaic Development Center (see
related press release on the launch of the new center).
In addition to establishing a complete turnkey solar manufacturing line in
San Jose, the agreement calls for ongoing collaboration between SVTC Solar
and Roth & Rau for product and equipment development and marketing.
Existing solar cell manufacturers and solar start-ups will be able to
access the Roth & Rau equipment for their product development efforts, and
Roth & Rau will benefit from having these potential customers working on
their tools. Additionally, Roth & Rau will use the Silicon Valley
Photovoltaic Development Center as its North American demonstration
showroom.
'The Roth & Rau equipment line will allow SVTC Solar to provide much-needed
development and pilot production services to the growing solar industry,'
said Kurt Laetz, SVTC Solar program manager. 'Roth & Rau is a world leader
in solar cell manufacturing equipment, and this complete solar cell
manufacturing line will establish our new Silicon Valley Photovoltaic
Development Center as the premier location in the U.S. for solar companies
to conduct their development programs.'
'SVTC Solar is providing a vital piece of the solar energy puzzle in the
U.S., and we immediately recognized the importance of being a partner in
their venture from the beginning,' said Dr. Dietmar Roth, CEO of Roth & Rau
AG. 'We are pleased to bring our solar cell manufacturing equipment and
extensive industry expertise to this exciting new photovoltaic development
center and using it as our North American demonstration showroom.'
SVTC Technologies has leased an 87,000 sq. ft. facility in South San Jose
as the location for the Silicon Valley Photovoltaic Development Center. The
purpose of this center is to provide the fast-growing solar industry with
the infrastructure – including development equipment, support and
engineering services – required to create and commercialize innovative
solar energy products. Roth & Rau’s 5 megawatt (MW) capacity solar cell
manufacturing line is ideally sized for pilot production.
The Silicon Valley Photovoltaic Development Center will serve multiple
photovoltaic (PV) technologies, including traditional silicon wafers and
thin films. By partnering with major service providers, SVTC Solar is
positioning the Silicon Valley Photovoltaic Development Center to support a
sustainable solar industry in Silicon Valley.
'This is a natural extension into photovoltaics of our core business in the
semiconductor industry,' said Dave Bergeron, CEO of SVTC Technologies. 'We
provide exceptional development services that allow our customers to bring
their products to market in shorter times with less development spending.
Partnering with high-quality equipment providers such as Roth & Rau is how
we maintain our edge.'
About SVTC Technologies and SVTC Solar:
SVTC Solar is the newest business unit of SVTC Technologies, a leading
independent semiconductor development foundry that enables the development
and commercialization of innovative semiconductor-based technologies and
products in an accelerated, cost-effective and IP-secure way. SVTC Solar
was founded to focus the advantages of SVTC Technologies’ business model on
the fast-growing solar energy industry. SVTC Solar is dedicated to
improving solar power by providing photovoltaic manufacturers with
comprehensive, cost-effective development and commercialization support,
enabling them to develop novel silicon-based and thin-film technologies and
accelerate their products’ time to market. More information on SVTC
Technologies can be found at www.svtc.com.
Contact:
Colleen Martell for SVTC Solar
Martell Communications
+1 408-374-7420
cmartell@martellpr.com
About Roth & Rau AG:
Roth & Rau AG based in Hohenstein-Ernstthal (ISIN DE000A0JCZ51) is by
market share one of the world’s leading suppliers of plasma process systems
for the photovoltaics industry. Furthermore Roth & Rau supplies components
and process systems based on plasma and ion beam technology for other
sectors. Developed by Roth & Rau, these products are manufactured and
distributed worldwide through the company’s photovoltaic and plasma and ion
beam technology divisions. In fiscal year 2007 Roth & Rau achieved
according to IFRS an EBIT of Euro 14 million on sales of Euro 146 million,
employing an average of 190 people. Roth & Rau’s photovoltaic division
focuses on providing antireflective coating facilities as well as fully
automated manufacturing lines (turnkey production lines) for the production
of crystalline silicon solar cells. Another focus is on the production of
equipment for the coating of thin film solar modules. The plasma and ion
beam technology division, which accounted for 6 percent of total sales in
the financial year 2007, produces plasma sources and ion beam sources as
well as process systems for plasma and ion beam enhanced thin film and
surface processing methods. Customers served by this division include, in
particular, companies in the semiconductor and automotive industries, R&D
departments in various industries including photovoltaics as well as
research institutes and universities.
Contact:
Haubrok Investor Relations GmbH
Simone Gorny
Kaistraße 16
40221 Düsseldorf
Tel.: +49 (0) 211/30126-130
Fax: +49 (0)211/30126-5130
E-Mail: s.gorny@haubrok.de
25.06.2008 Financial News transmitted by DGAP
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Language: English
Issuer: Roth & Rau AG
An der Baumschule 6-8
09337 Hohenstein-Ernstthal
Deutschland
Phone: 03723 6685-0
Fax: 03723 6685-100
E-mail: info@roth-rau.de
Internet: www.roth-rau.de
ISIN: DE000A0JCZ51
WKN: A0JCZ5
Indices: TecDAX
Listed: Regulierter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Freiverkehr
in Berlin, Stuttgart, München, Düsseldorf
End of News DGAP News-Service
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