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Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: tejek who wrote (355519)	10/20/2007 4:33:30 PM
From: bentway	Respond to of 1577111

Government subsidies could accelerate the development tremendously. Look how quick we had an A-bomb when it mattered. Instead, we flush our treasure down Iraq.. If we developed the tech, automated the production, we could sell it to the world.

To: tejek who wrote (355519)	10/20/2007 4:52:23 PM
From: d[-_-]b	Respond to of 1577111

You think 20 years.....that long? If a major company like GE made it a priority.....would it still take that long do you think? Look at how long it took to go from 4% to 12% to 40%, science doesn't just respond to cash like manpower problems. Have you not heard the 80/20 rule? It's takes 20% effort to reach 80% of the goal and 80% of the effort the reach the last 20%. but there are a number of fabs that have been mothballed by INTC and others that could be refurbished for solar panel production If they could produce anything (at a profit) they wouldn't have been mothballed. So third generation is under production and they are working on the 4th generation. No, first generation still has 86% market share, second generation is just now coming online. These guys have lots of info: solarwashington.org

To: tejek who wrote (355519)	10/20/2007 6:22:39 PM
From: combjelly	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1577111

"Yeah, but there are a number of fabs that have been mothballed by INTC and others that could be refurbished for solar panel production." Solar cells aren't produced in the same type of fabs as other chips. I suppose you could, but why? You don't need implanters, scanners or any of the things that a modern fab needs. And there isn't need to ultra-pure air or water. When I was in high school, I had a kit for producing solar cells. You mixed up a paste of dopants, spread it on some silicon scrap and baked it in a ceramic cylinder with a heating element wrapped around it. That was surrounded by fire brick and then attached to an electric welder. Didn't make the highest quality cells, but they weren't bad. While you probably won't want to use the garage, unless you are Bill Gates, many commercial buildings are adequate. Here is one company that produces equipment. crystec.com