Applied Materials announced today it will discontinue sales of its SunFab thin-film solar panels and restructure its business at a cost of about $400 million and 400 to 500 positions. The company plans to focus on its crystalline silicon solar and LED lighting …

Applied Materials Inc., (AMAT), officials say that their solar business will break even in 2010 but plan layoffs of 1,300-1,500 jobs, or 12 percent of the workforce in the next 18 months. The semiconductor-equipment and PV solar panel maker reported a fourth quarter …