Applied Materials, Inc. · Santa Clara, CA United States ·(NASDAQ (GS): AMAT)

Today, semiconductor manufacturing; tomorrow, the world -- of alternative energy sources. Applied Materials is, by far, the world's largest maker of semiconductor production equipment. With its acquisition of Applied Films, the company moved into the market for equipment used in making solar power cells. Applied's machines vie for supremacy in many segments of the chip-making process, including deposition (layering film on wafers), etching (removing portions of chip material to allow precise construction of circuits), and semiconductor metrology and inspection equipment. More than two-thirds of Applied's sales come from the Asia/Pacific region, with Taiwan leading the way. To read the full description, subscribe now.