GT Solar ships 2,000th DSS crystalline ingot growth furnace

MERRIMACK, USA: GT Solar International Inc., a global provider of polysilicon production technology, and sapphire and silicon crystalline growth systems and materials for the solar, LED and other specialty markets, has shipped its 2000th directional solidification system (DSS) crystalline ingot growth furnace to Green Energy Technology (GET).

GET will receive the milestone system as part of recent orders totaling $59 million for GT Solar’s DSS450HP ingot growth furnaces.

“GET and GT Solar have developed a trusted partnership over many years,” said Mr. Hurlon Lin, president of Green Energy Technology. “GET is recognized for producing very high quality multicrystalline wafers and GT Solar’s crystalline growth furnaces help us achieve these results.”

“GET was one of our first customers for our DSS crystalline growth systems and we value the partnership that has developed over the years,” said Tom Gutierrez, president and CEO of GT Solar.

“Customers are looking for ways to lower their cost of manufacturing and our DSS architecture offers customers tremendous value. Achieving the milestone 2000th shipment of our DSS crystallization furnace is a testimony to the reliability and longevity of the architecture that continues to deliver sustained value to customers seven years after its market introduction.”

GT Solar introduced its first DSS crystallization system, the DSS240, in 2003. The DSS architecture was designed to accommodate future advancements in crystalline growth process technology. Customers can easily upgrade their existing furnaces to achieve higher levels of performance and throughput.

The latest generation DSS650, which the company announced is now in beta testing and is expected to be commercially available in early calendar year 2011, continues this unique ability for customers to achieve a higher return on their investment.