Value Chain

A five-stage production approach from natural resource to advanced application.

Natural Resources

Our value chain begins at the natural resource. Quartz and silica, the raw materials of silicon, are among the most abundant minerals in the Earth's crust; yet sources suitable for high-purity silicon production are limited. At this stage the mineral structure, impurity profile and processability of resource areas are assessed.

Resource selection is driven not only by grade but by responsible resource use and traceability. Which lot came from which site is recorded so that it can be followed through every subsequent stage.

InputQuartz veins and silica reserves
OutputGraded quartz ore
Target purityMineral purity

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Raw Material Preparation

After crushing and grinding, the ore passes through washing and grading stages. The aim is to achieve the particle-size distribution and surface cleanliness that determine the efficiency of the following purification step, and to remove impurities such as iron, aluminium and alkali metals by physical means as early as possible.

Water and energy efficiency come to the fore here. Recovery of process water and waste minimisation are what our sustainability approach means at this stage.

InputGraded quartz ore
OutputWashed, sized silica
Target purityHigh mineral purity

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Silicon Purification

The prepared silica is converted into metallurgical silicon by carbothermic reduction. This product, at roughly 98–99% purity, is not sufficient for high-technology applications. Our target is to reach the 8–9N (99.999999–99.9999999%) purity range by bringing impurities down to parts-per-billion levels through chemical purification stages.

Purification is the most knowledge-intensive stage of the value chain. Process design, energy consumption and closed-loop use of by-products are determined here.

InputWashed silica, carbon reductant
OutputHigh-purity silicon
Target purity8–9N target

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Polycrystalline Silicon

In the crystal growth stage, purified silicon takes on a polycrystalline structure. Solar-grade polysilicon is the raw material for monocrystalline ingot pulling and wafer production, and one of the most critical links in the photovoltaic supply chain.

Product quality at this stage is defined by purity, crystal structure and lot homogeneity. Each lot is documented according to our customers' qualification requirements.

InputHigh-purity silicon
OutputPolycrystalline silicon chunks
Target puritySolar grade

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Advanced Applications

At the final link of the value chain, our products become ingots, wafers, cells and advanced materials on our customers' production lines. Solar energy and semiconductor manufacturing are the main fields of application; in defence and aerospace we aim to contribute to the material base for components demanding high reliability and precision.

Our collaborations at this stage cover advanced material development work together with technology developers, industrial companies and research institutions.

InputPolycrystalline silicon
OutputIngot, wafer, cell, advanced materials
Target purityApplication-specific

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Quality and traceability

Every product is defined by a technical data sheet, an analysis report is issued for every lot, and every stage from resource site to shipment is recorded.

Details

Products & Solutions

Explore our products and technical specifications at every stage of the value chain.

Product catalogue