Applied Materials cutting 500 jobs
Applied Materials, the semiconductor equipment giant, said on Wednesday that it will discontinue the SunFab line for thin-film solar panels and cut about 500 workers. (...) CEO Mike Splinter blamed a number of factors for the lack of success in the thin film business that Applied thought several years ago would be quite promising, namely "delays in utility-scale solar adoption, solar panel manufacturers' challenges in obtaining affordable capital, changes and uncertainty in government renewable energy policies, and competitive pressure from crystalline silicon technologies." The company also plans to divest its low-emissivity architectural glass coating products, which is more efficient because it reflects more energy than other glasses. Instead it will continue development of emerging technologies such as "smart" electrochromic glass that can be darkened or lightened electronically.