Polysilicon

At a Glance

WACKER was one of the earliest pioneers, and is still one of the worldʼs market leaders in the production of polysilicon. The extremely pure material is the key material for advanced applications in solar energy, photovoltaics and semiconductors. WACKER produces high-purity polysilicon at three sites according to identical, sustainable standards. In highly integrated material loops, manufacturing byproducts are reprocessed and then reused as basic materials in the value chain. Our integrated quality management system (certified to ISO 9001 and 14001 as well as OHRIS) ensures that we comply with environmental, health and safety requirements throughout an integrated process, from individual advice, through polysilicon production to punctual delivery and specific follow-up support.

Properties and Applications

WACKER provides the solar and semiconductor industries with a complete spectrum of polysilicon products specifically customized to each customerʼs needs and market requirements, ensuring premium quality throughout the entire process.

Solar applications are key to future energy supply: sunlight, as a natural resource, is available in unlimited quantities and for free, paving the way to energy-efficient solutions. Of all the ways to produce energy, photovoltaics or solar energy has the steepest cost-reduction curve. At the same time, the cost of generating electricity using photovoltaic technology is driven by the continuous improvement in solar cell efficiency and ever lowering manufacturing costs. These can be achieved only by top quality silicon and a product portfolio that has been tailored to the needs of the customer.

With semiconductor components, the purity and quality of the material used plays an important role in the efficiency as well as in the yields of silicon wafers. They form the basis of modern micro and nanoelectronics. Silicon electronic devices are used, for example, in computers, smart phones, flat-screen displays, navigation systems, engine controllers and many other applications.