IBM Making Solar Panels Out Of Silicon

Boston (dbTechno) - IBM has made the exciting announcement that they have found a way to turn silicon waste into solar panels, thus being able to recycle the silicon wafers used in computer chip manufacturing operations.

IBM has announced that they are going to recycle the silicon wafers using a process which has them removing the transistor patterns embedded in the wafers. These patterns are security measures basically to keep the information and such kept under the highest level of security. Once IBM removes this though they can manipulate it for more productive things.

There are about three million silicon wafers thrown away each year by the tech industry. IBM stated that once the patterns are removed they can sell the wafers to thehir plant in Burlington, VT. They can then turn these silicon wafers into solar cells or panels.

IBM is going to expand this as well and also share details of the process to remove patterns with other chip makers in hopes that other companies will follow suit.

This process from IBM was awarded the Most Valuable Pollution Prevention Award 2007 from the National Pollution Prevention Round-table.