GT Solar receives $218.9 million order for advanced sapphire crystallization furnaces from Guizhou Haotian Optoelectronics

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, announced that it has received an order for its advanced sapphire crystallization furnaces totaling $218.9 million from Guizhou Haotian Optoelectronics Technology Co. Ltd (HTOT).

The order marks HTOT’s entrance into the fast-growing LED industry, and continues GT Solar’s market momentum for its sapphire crystalline growth technology based on its advanced sapphire furnace. The order will be included in GT Solar’s backlog for its current Q1 FY12, which ends on July 2, 2011.

“Our entrance into the LED market offers a new strategic growth opportunity for our company and Guiyang City as well as the Guizhou region of China,” said Hao Xu, chairman of the board of Guizhou Industrial Investment Group. “Our new sapphire production facility will help to stimulate economic growth in the region and establish HTOT as a leading supplier of material to the LED industry. This project requires a technology partner that can deliver reliable, highly productive equipment as well as installation and support know-how to quickly get our new factory up and running. We selected GT Solar because of its leading technology, proven track record, and years of experience enabling cost-effective, high-volume manufacturing.”

“We are pleased that HTOT has selected our advanced sapphire crystallization furnaces and look forward to a long and successful partnership over the coming years,” said Tom Gutierrez, GT Solar’s president and CEO. “We continue to see growing interest from companies looking to enter the fast-growing LED industry. Our sapphire crystal growth technology provides a proven path to producing high quality material, and our global installation and support resources enable our customers to quickly ramp to high volume, low-cost manufacturing.”

GT Solar’s advanced sapphire furnace technology is the result of over 40 years of continual process improvement and development at Crystal Systems, which was acquired by GT Solar in July of 2010. Crystal Systems is recognized as one of the leading providers of quality sapphire material for the LED and specialty optical and mechanical industries.