ARC Energy defends proprietary sapphire technology; countersues GT Solar for anticompetitive conduct

NASHUA, USA: Advanced RenewableEnergy Co. LLC (ARC Energy), a provider of innovative c-axis sapphire growth technologies and turnkey solutions for the LED industry, last week filed an Answer and Counterclaim in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire Superior Court against GT Solar International, Inc. and various of its subsidiaries (GT Solar).

In its filing, ARC vigorously denies that any of ARC’s products or technologies make use of any proprietary GT Solar technology and has countersued GT Solar for anticompetitive conduct. ARC Energy’s Counterclaim asserts that GT Solar has made knowingly false and defamatory statements about ARC Energy’s business and products for the unlawful purpose of inhibiting sales of ARC Energy’s sapphire crystal growth system into the fast growing LED market.

Additionally, ARC states that GT Solar’s allegations are baseless and that ARC’s proprietary c-axis CHES sapphire technology is different from, and superior to, other sapphire growth technologies, including GT’s. ARC Energy’s technology for growing sapphire crystals on the c-axis affords several advantages over a-axis technologies. C-axis wafers are the optimum orientation for LED applications and c-axis growth leads to higher material utilization and lower overall costs compared with conventional technologies.

Daniel Lyman, ARC Energy’s secretary and general counsel said: “We must defend our right to continue to develop and deliver new and innovative technologies that have very real potential to help solve important energy problems worldwide. We must also defend the rights of our customers to choose the technologies and products best suited to give them an advantage in the marketplace.”