Dow Corning Corp. (Midland, Mich.; www.dowcorning.com) announced several billion dollars of investment to provide critical materials to the fast-growing solar technology industry. Dow Corning will begin manufacturing high-purity monosilane, a key specialty gas used to manufacture thin-film solar cells and liquid crystal displays (LCDs). This investment includes construction of a new monosilane manufacturing facility in Hemlock, Michigan, adjacent to Hemlock Semiconductor Corp.’s polysilicon manufacturing site. The investment also includes up to $3.0 billion at Dow Corning joint ventures Hemlock Semiconductor Corp. and Hemlock Semiconductor LLC. The companies will expand Hemlock Semiconductor Corp.’s existing Michigan manufacturing facility and build a new site in Clarksville, Tennessee to increase manufacturing capacity for polycrystalline silicon (polysilicon) — the cornerstone material used to manufacture most solar cells. Construction of both the polysilicon expansions and the new monosilane site will begin immediately.
These announcements solidify Dow Corning’s significant role in the development of the two most common types of solar cells; crystalline-based and thin-film solar cells. Crystalline-based solar cells use sliced polysilicon as its main semi-conducting material. Thin-film solar cells are made by depositing a thin film of silicon, enabled by monosilane, onto a sheet of another material such as glass.
“Dow Corning and our Hemlock Semiconductor joint ventures hope to create a viable solar industry that produces new, high paying jobs, clean power technologies and a revitalized economy,” said Stephanie A. Burns, Dow Corning’s chairman, president and CEO. “We’re committing our resources, know-how and technology because we are confident that solar technology represents a tremendous opportunity for both clean energy and economic growth.”