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IBM Recycles Waste CPU Wafers Into Solar Panels
Luyseyal writes "IBM has developed a process for scrubbing waste silicon wafers clean, allowing the otherwise highly secret waste to be sold. The silicon quality usually necessary for solar production is very high and the cost of solar panels reflects it. Recycling this waste should help bring down the cost in the long run and add a new profit vector for chip manufacturers. The article notes that IBM has such a high profile in the chip business that this recycling tech should spread rapidly."
Solar has long fed off the scraps of the IC industry. Indeed, until a few years ago, this was solar's primary source of silicon, which they have now outgrown. IBM has merely decided that a few more scraps worth saving (probably due to silicon's new high prices).
But you have to remember that in society today, all you have to say is "we want to fight" and then "terrorists," "global warming" or "Tom Cruise" and you're automatically doing the noble thing.
They just decided to choose the 2nd option.
The original generic sig.