H.C. Starck - Improving Sputtering Performance in State-of-the-Art Thin Film Materials Lab

EUCLID, Ohio, August 31, 2010 - 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 R&D 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 www.hcstarck.com and download a free
brochure "High Performance Solutions in Thin Film Materials".

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