| IBM repurposes scrap silicon |
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| Written by Stephen Withers | |
| Wednesday, 31 October 2007 | |
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IBM's process allows the reclaimed parts to be used as monitor wafers for calibrating the manufacturing process before being sold to solar panel makers. Using reclaimed monitor wafers gives an energy saving of up to 90 percent compared to buying new wafers, and then the solar panel manufacturers save another 30-90 percent compared to using new silicon. "One of the challenges facing the solar industry is a severe shortage of silicon, which threatens to stall its rapid growth,” said Charles Bai, chief financial officer of solar energy company ReneSola. "This is why we have turned to reclaimed silicon materials sourced primarily from the semiconductor industry to supply the raw material our company needs to manufacture solar panels." IBM expects the process will save its Burlington plant alone almost $US1.5 million this year. The company plans to provide details of the process to other semiconductor manufacturers. "IBM's commitment to environmental conservation spans its business, from the re-purposing of materials used in semiconductor manufacturing to enabling customers to manage, measure, and run the most power efficient datacenters on the planet," said Mike Cadigan, general manager, IBM Semiconductor Solutions.
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