Editing Applied Materials (section)

==Organization==
Applied is organized into three major business sectors: Semiconductor Products, Applied Global Services, and Display and Adjacent Markets.<ref name="Aug16 PR">{{cite press release |date=18 August 2016 |title=Applied Materials Announces Record Results |url=http://www.appliedmaterials.com/company/news/press-releases/2016/08/applied-materials-announces-record-results |publisher=Applied Materials |access-date=19 October 2017}}</ref> Applied Materials also operates a [[Venture Capital|venture]] investing arm called Applied Ventures.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Spencer|first1=Malia|title=Why Intel, Applied Materials are banking on a Corvallis startup|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/morning_call/2014/02/why-corvallis-may-be-critical-to-the.html|access-date=4 May 2016|work=Portland Business Journal|date=20 February 2014}}</ref>

=== Semiconductor Products ===
The company develops and manufactures equipment used in the wafer fabrication steps of [[Fabrication (semiconductor)|creating a semiconductor device]], including [[atomic layer deposition]] (ALD), [[chemical vapor deposition]] (CVD), [[physical vapor deposition]] (PVD), [[rapid thermal processing]] (RTP), [[chemical mechanical polishing]] (CMP), etch, [[ion implantation]] and wafer inspection.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Shields|first1=Anne|title=Overview of Applied Materials Silicon Systems segment|url=http://marketrealist.com/2015/01/overview-applied-materials-silicon-systems-segment/|access-date=15 April 2016|work=Market Realist|date=12 January 2015}}</ref> The company acquired Semitool for this group in late 2009.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Pimentel|first1=Benjamin|last2=Bartash|first2=Jeffry|title=Applied Materials to acquire Semitool for $364 million|url=http://www.marketwatch.com/story/applied-materials-to-buy-semitool-for-364-millon-2009-11-17|access-date=15 April 2016|work=MarketWatch|date=17 November 2009}}</ref> In 2019, Applied Materials agreed to buy semiconductor manufacturer Kokusai for $2.2 Billion.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/applied-materials-said-buy-kokusai-055450368.html|title=Applied Materials to Buy Kokusai From KKR for $2.2 Billion|website=finance.yahoo.com|language=en-US|access-date=2019-07-01}}</ref>

=== Applied Global Services ===
The Applied Global Services (AGS) group offers equipment installation support and warranty extended support, as well as maintenance support. AGS also offers new and refurbished equipment, as well as upgrades and enhancements for installed base equipment. This sector also includes automation software for manufacturing environments.<ref name="Aug16 PR" />

=== Display and Adjacent Markets ===

AGS combined an existing business unit with the display business of [[Applied Films Corporation]], acquired in mid-2006.

The manufacturing process for [[TFT LCD]]s (thin film transistor liquid crystal displays), commonly employed in computer monitors and televisions, is similar to that employed for [[integrated circuit]]s. In cleanroom environments both TFT-LCD and integrated circuit production use [[photolithography]], chemical and physical vapor deposition, and testing.{{citation needed|date=December 2017}}

=== Energy and Environmental Solutions (former sector) ===

In 2006, the company acquired Applied Films, a glass coating and web coating business. Also in 2006, Applied announced it was entering the solar manufacturing equipment business. The solar, glass and web businesses were organized into the company's Energy and Environmental Solutions (EES) sector.

In 2007, Applied Materials announced the Applied SunFab [[thin film]] photovoltaic module production line, with [[single-junction cell|single]] or [[Tandem cell|tandem junction]] capability. SunFab applies [[silicon thin film]] layers to glass substrate that then produce electricity when exposed to sunlight. In 2009, the company's SunFab line was certified by the [[International Electrotechnical Commission]] (IEC).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/articles/2009/01/amats-sunfab-modules-awarded-iec-certification-54520.html|title="AMAT's SunFab Modules Awarded IEC Certification." ''Renewable Energy World.'' January 16, 2009|date=2009-01-16}}</ref> In 2010, Applied announced that it was abandoning the thin film market and closing down their SunFab division.<ref>{{cite web | last = Kanellos| first = Michael| title = Applied Materials Kills its SunFab Solar Business| publisher = Greenech Media| date = 21 July 2010| url = http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/applied-materials-kills-its-sunfab-solar-business| access-date = 3 March 2016 }}</ref> Also in 2007, the company acquired privately held, Switzerland-based HCT Shaping Systems SA, a specialist in wafer sawing tools for both solar and semiconductor wafer manufacture, paying approximately $475 million.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/articles/2007/06/applied-materials-acquires-solar-wafer-manufacturer-49130.html|title="Applied Materials Acquires Solar Wafer Manufacturer." ''Renewable Energy World.'' June 27, 2007|date=2007-06-27}}</ref>

In 2008, Applied acquired privately held, Italy-based Baccini SpA for $330M, company that worked in the metallization steps of solar cell manufacturing.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/articles/2007/11/applied-materials-to-accelerate-its-solar-roadmap-with-acquisition-of-baccini-50648.html|title="Applied Materials to Accelerate Its Solar Roadmap with Acquisition of Baccini." ''Renewable Energy World.'' November 26, 2007|date=2007-11-26}}</ref> The company was listed at the top of [[VLSI Research]]'s list of supplier of photovoltaic manufacturing equipment for 2008, with sales of $797M.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pv-tech.org/news/_a/applied_tops_vlsis_top_10_pv_manufacturing_equipment_suppliers_for_2008/ |title=Applied tops VLSI's Top 10 PV manufacturing equipment suppliers for 2008 - Photovoltaics International |access-date=2009-07-14 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090714232834/http://www.pv-tech.org/news/_a/applied_tops_vlsis_top_10_pv_manufacturing_equipment_suppliers_for_2008 |archive-date=2009-07-14 }}</ref>

Since July 2016 the Energy and Environmental Solutions sector is no longer reported separately. Remaining solar business activities have been included in "Corporate and Others".<ref name="Aug16 PR" />