Solar Technology

On July 31, 2007 SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES AG acquired 51 % of the STANGL Semiconductor Equipment AG (STANGL), Eichenau near Munich. SINGULUS has an option to buy the remaining shares of STANGL from 2010. With targeted sales of EUR 30 million in 2007 STANGL is one of the globally leading suppliers of machines for the wet-chemical processes required in the areas of the photovoltaics and semi-conductor industries.

STANGL is the first acquisition beyond the traditional work area of optical disc production equipment. STANGL is a highly profitable company, enabling the company instant access to the strategically very important market of the booming solar industry.

STANGL was founded in 1988 as an equipment producer for the semi-conductor industry and has been producing equipment for the solar cell production for the past five years. The company manufactures production equipment for silicon solar cells as well as for thin-film solar cells. Over the years the company with headquarters in Eichenau near Munich has shown a continuous growth in sales and earnings through new technologies with its approximately 100 employees.

SINGULUS itself is now also engaged as an equipment supplier to the solar industry with this acquisition. SINGULUS already expects the acquisition to make a significantly positive earnings contribution in 2007. STANGL is expected to continue its dynamic growth and against this backdrop will hire up to 50 additional qualified employees this year.

SINGULUS will commence a development project in Kahl and thereby produce its own vacuum coating equipment for solar cells in combination with the equipment of STANGL by mid-2008. The goal is to advance to a globally leading position for production lines for solar cells in the next couple of years. 

Synergies through complementing competencies
The STANGL Semiconductor Equipment AG employs about 100 people at two locations. With its products in the solar technology area the company is present worldwide. More than 80 % of STANGL’s sales are realized with equipment for the photovoltaics industry.

The remaining share is generated in the semi-conductor, optics and medicine technology sectors. SINGULUS is the leading supplier of inline production lines for the manufacturing of optical discs and in addition has growing semi-conductor activities with its business division Nano Deposition Technologies. Both companies perfectly complement each other in order to be able to offer a broad product range of machines and equipment for the photovoltaics industry in the next couple of years.

While STANGL focuses on wet-chemical processes, SINGULUS’ core competence is physical coating technology such as sputtering and PECVD as well as the integration of different processing steps in complete production lines.

• Link to the STANGL Semiconductor Equipment AG Homepage