EUCLID, Ohio, August 31, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Material utilization, cost reduction and improved sputtering performance are leading factors for sputtering target research and development efforts at H.C. Starck Inc., Fabricated Products Group. As one of the world's largest producers of refractory materials - molybdenum, tungsten and tantalum powders, H.C. Starck is focusing on CIGS, a-Si (amorphous silicon) and CdTe thin films solar module manufacturers of photovoltaic solar cells.

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H.C. Starck's highly qualified RD team is constantly working to improve sputtering target performance in its in-house state-of-the-art Thin Film Materials Lab equipped with specific sputtering tools and instrumentation for advanced testing and characterizations of thin film properties. Producing superior sputtering performance for thin films PV (TFPV) energy applications was made possible through in-house prototyping and modeling.

As a result, H.C. Starck's molybdenum targets have extremely low levels of oxygen, are fully dense with refined microstructures optimized for improved sputtering. The monolithic rotary target design helps cut costs by improved target utilization, reduced arcing and superior power density.

Being a vertically integrated supplier of refractory materials, H.C. Starck has the knowledge and expertise to reduce, press, sinter and finish high performance materials for the marketplace. H.C. Starck uses highly specialized equipment and technologies capable of producing rotary sputtering targets at the height of the most demanding requirements of target users in the areas of LCD display, large area coating and solar cell applications.

Best in class production and extrusion facilities at H.C. Starck are producing molybdenum rotary targets with inside diameters of 125 mm (monolithic) and 135 mm (bonded) up through the current largest rotary target requirement. Tantalum, niobium, nickel-vanadium and other materials also can be produced in planar or rotary form. Targets in lengths of 4 m (or more) can be produced per customer specification.

Visit the Fabricated Products team at the 25th EU PV Solar Energy Conference, 6-10 Sept, Feria Valencia in Valencia, Spain - Level 2, Hall 2 Booth A39 to find out how H.C. Starck can help develop solutions for your photovoltaic solar energy applications.

For more information go to http://www.hcstarck.com and download a free brochure High Performance Solutions in Thin Film Materials.

SOURCE: H.C. Starck Inc.

CONTACT: Cristian Cretu, +1-216-692-6985, F +1-216-692-0031,cristian.cretu@hcstarck.com, or Peter Faustmann, +49-30-9433089,peter.faustmann@hcstarck.com, both of H.C. Starck Inc.