List of silicon producers
Encyclopedia
A list of silicon producers involves several very different stages of production. Production starts at silicon metal, which is the material used to gain high purity silicon
. High purity silicon - coming in different grajdes of purity - will be used for growing silicon ingot
s, which will be sliced to wafer
s in a process called wafering. Compositionally pure polycrystalline silicon
wafers are useful for photovoltaics
), dislocation-free and extremely flat single-crystal silicon
wafers are required in the manufacture of computer chips).
Silicon
Silicon is a chemical element with the symbol Si and atomic number 14. A tetravalent metalloid, it is less reactive than its chemical analog carbon, the nonmetal directly above it in the periodic table, but more reactive than germanium, the metalloid directly below it in the table...
. High purity silicon - coming in different grajdes of purity - will be used for growing silicon ingot
Ingot
An ingot is a material, usually metal, that is cast into a shape suitable for further processing. Non-metallic and semiconductor materials prepared in bulk form may also be referred to as ingots, particularly when cast by mold based methods.-Uses:...
s, which will be sliced to wafer
Wafer (electronics)
A wafer is a thin slice of semiconductor material, such as a silicon crystal, used in the fabrication of integrated circuits and other microdevices...
s in a process called wafering. Compositionally pure polycrystalline silicon
Polycrystalline silicon
Polycrystalline silicon, also called polysilicon, is a material consisting of small silicon crystals. It differs from single-crystal silicon, used for electronics and solar cells, and from amorphous silicon, used for thin film devices and solar cells....
wafers are useful for photovoltaics
Photovoltaics
Photovoltaics is a method of generating electrical power by converting solar radiation into direct current electricity using semiconductors that exhibit the photovoltaic effect. Photovoltaic power generation employs solar panels composed of a number of solar cells containing a photovoltaic material...
), dislocation-free and extremely flat single-crystal silicon
Monocrystalline silicon
Monocrystalline silicon or single-crystal Si, or mono-Si is the base material of the electronic industry. It consists of silicon in which the crystal lattice of the entire solid is continuous, unbroken to its edges. It can be prepared intrinsic, i.e...
wafers are required in the manufacture of computer chips).
Silicon Metal Producers
- ElkemElkemElkem is one of Norway's largest industrial companies, and one of the world's leading suppliers of metals and materials. The company's main products are aluminium, energy and silicon as well as specialised products such as ferrosilicon to foundries, microsilica and carbon...
(Orkla Group) - Globe Specialty Metals
- SIMCALA
- JFE Steel
- Renewable Energy CorporationRenewable Energy CorporationThe Renewable Energy Corporation is a solar power company with headquarters in Norway. REC produces silicon materials for photovoltaics applications and multicrystalline wafers, as well as solar cells and modules...
(REC) - Nitol SolarNitol SolarNitol Solar is an international, vertically integrated company originating from Russia whose main business activities are scientific development and manufacture of products used to generate solar energy.They were valued at $1bn in Jan 2008...
- Rusal
Silicon Wafer manufacturers
This is a partial list of major producers of wafers (made of high purity Silicon, mono- or polycrystalline):- Wacker Chemie AG
- Applied MaterialsApplied MaterialsApplied Materials, Inc. is a capital equipment producer serving the semiconductor, TFT LCD display, Glass, WEB and solar manufacturing industries....
- MEMC Electronic MaterialsMEMC Electronic MaterialsMEMC Electronic Materials is a United States manufacturer of silicon wafers for the semiconductor industry. The company's stock is part of the S&P 500 stock index. Originally established in 1959 as the Monsanto Electronic Materials Company, a business unit of Monsanto Company, the company is...
- Zhejiang DC Chemical
- LDK Solar
- Renewable Energy CorporationRenewable Energy CorporationThe Renewable Energy Corporation is a solar power company with headquarters in Norway. REC produces silicon materials for photovoltaics applications and multicrystalline wafers, as well as solar cells and modules...
- RenesolaReneSolaReneSola Ltd. is a Jiashan-headquartered manufacturer of solar wafers, which are thin sheets of crystalline silicon material primarily used in the production of solar cells....
- Timminco