Our Vision
Our core crystalline growth equipment and materials expertise in silicon, silicon carbide and sapphire deliver sustained value to the world’s top manufacturers in the global PV, power electronics and optical markets. Our innovative technologies and industry experience drive the development and commercialization of products that elevate performance, improve quality and lower manufacturing costs.
Expertise
Our expertise is in crystalline growth technology, process engineering and manufacturing operations. Our world-class team of scientists and engineers has deep-domain experience in advanced materials and equipment performance to increase capacity, quality and throughput while lowering operating costs.
Innovation
Innovation drives our passion to deliver a steady stream of new products with greater performance and functionality that enable our customers to successfully compete in the markets they serve.
Execution
From purchase to product lifecycle support, our operational excellence and service sophistication is unmatched. This means we can respond quickly and efficiently to customers so they can meet their business requirements with confidence and support them as their businesses grow.
History of Success
GT develops first silicon carbide sublimation furnace.
Introduces DSS silicon crystal growth furnace (today, over 3800 DSS units supplied to the market)
Introduces SDR (today, over 400 units supplied to the market, about 1/3rd of the global polysilicon comes from GT’s CVD's)
Hydrochlorination technology package introduced (today, 3,000,000 MTA of TCS made from GT’s technology which is the equivalent of ~1/2 of the global polysilicon produced)
GT enters optical sapphire market with acquisition of Crystal Systems
GT achieves success in producing 4-inch SiC boules
Develops gen 2 SiClone™ silicon carbide furnace.
Achieves repeatable process for producing 6-inch SiC boules
Leadership Team
Greg Knight
President and Chief Executive Officer
Greg Knight
President and Chief Executive Officer
Greg Knight is GT Advanced Technologies’ President and Chief Executive Officer
Greg has over 15 years of experience in the photovoltaic (PV) industry. Before joining GT, Greg was the founder and CEO of Exawatt and PV Tech Group, two of the industry’s leading consulting firms specializing in providing strategic market and technology advisory services to companies in the PV industry. Greg was previously the Director of Process Engineering at GT where he was responsible for the installation and startup of turnkey fabrication facilities for customers worldwide. Greg began his career in the solar industry in 2001 at Schott Solar, where he was the Manufacturing Director for solar cell fabrication and silicon wafer fabrication.
Prior to entering the solar industry, Greg served for five years on active duty in the US Navy as Lieutenant, Surface Warfare / Nuclear Power in charge of chemistry and radiological controls programs for two nuclear plants onboard a nuclear aircraft carrier.
Greg holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Cornell University and a formal nuclear engineering education from the Naval Nuclear Power School.
Michele Rayos
Vice President, Chief Financial Officer
Michele Rayos
Vice President, Chief Financial Officer
Michele Rayos is GT Advanced Technologies’ Vice President, Chief Financial Officer. Michele joined the company in 2009 as the Vice President Tax, Treasurer. Michele brings over 25 years of experience in accounting, tax and treasury to the company. Prior to joining GT Advanced Technologies from 1998 to 2009 Michele held various senior finance positions at Brooks Automation, Inc. in tax and treasury, and was the Senior Director, Tax and Treasury from 2006 to 2009.
Michele holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a concentration in accounting from the University of Rhode Island and a Master of Science in taxation from Northeastern University.
Joe Loiselle
Vice President of Global Operations
Joe Loiselle
Vice President of Global Operations
Joe Loiselle is GT Advanced Technologies’ Vice President of Global Operations. Joe has over 20 years of experience in advanced manufacturing. During this time, Joe led equipment integration and manufacturing expansion opportunities for the manufacturing of high-tech crystal growth equipment for the global solar, LED, and consumer electronics industries. His tenure included serving as Vice President of Advanced Systems Integration and Director of Turnkey Projects for GT, where he worked closely with R&D, technology development and engineering teams to launch new technology to customers globally.
Prior to joining GT, Joe was the Director of Equipment Engineering at Schott Solar. Joe holds degrees in electrical and electronic engineering technology from the New Hampshire Technical Institute.
Kurt Schmid
President, Advanced Materials Group
Kurt Schmid
President, Advanced Materials Group
Kurt Schmid is GT Advanced Technologies’ President of the Advanced Materials Group. Kurt has been active in the domestic and international sapphire and Ti:Sapphire markets for more than 15 years. During this time Kurt has served in several management positions including COO, VP Operations and Director of Sales. He has been responsible for developing strategic marketing strategies for LED, military and laser based products. Kurt has successfully launched several sapphire and Ti:Sapphire technical development programs, most recently developing the world’s largest Ti:Sapphire amplifier crystal for the multi-petawatt, Extreme Light Infrastructure laser platform in Europe. He holds several patents in single crystal related technologies.
Kurt holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Northeastern University where he received summa cum laude honors. He continues his education in material science and optics related courses.
Dr. P.S. Raghavan
Chief Technology Officer
Dr. P.S. Raghavan
Chief Technology Officer
Dr. P.S. Raghavan is GT Advanced Technologies’ Chief Technology Officer. Dr. Raghavan brings over 26 years of industrial and academic experience in crystal growth instrumentation, crystal growth of semiconducting (Silicon, III-V and II-VI) materials, Oxides (Al203, LiNbO3), NLO materials, scintillation detecting materials and advanced electronic and photonic devices. His decades of experience in developing technology and capital equipment has resulted in the successful commercialization of industry leading silicon, sapphire and silicon carbide crystal growth furnaces for the solar, LED, and consumer and power electronics manufacturing industries.
Prior to joining GT in 2002, he was involved in crystal growth research and held positions as Visiting Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering, NTHU, Hsinchu, Taiwan, Assistant Professor, Crystal Growth Centre, Anna University, and Reader and Head Instrumentation, Alagappa University, India.
Dr. Raghavan holds a master’s degree in physics, a master of philosophy degree in physics and a Ph.D. in crystal growth of III-V compounds. He worked as postdoctoral fellow at internationally acclaimed laboratories worldwide and has 60 research publications in international journals, 4 patents and 100 publications in national/International conferences. He has co-authored 3 books on crystal growth and has earned several international awards for his contribution to the field of crystal growth technology.
Jeff Gum
Director of Global Sales
Jeff Gum
Director of Global Sales
Jeff Gum is GT Advanced Technologies’ Director of Global Sales. Jeff brings nearly 11 years of experience in the design, operation, sales, marketing, and management of polysilicon and photovoltaic facilities. Prior to being appointed Director of Global Sales, Jeff served GT Advanced Technologies in a number of senior leadership roles including Product Manager for polysilicon, multicrystalline/monocrystalline ingot/wafer equipment & technology, and Manager of the Product Engineering Group with focus on developing new CVD reactor platforms and CVD related technologies, with eight patent applications from projects he led. Prior to joining GT Advanced Technologies, Jeff worked for Puget Sound Naval Shipyard as a Nuclear Engineer and supervisor overseeing the maintenance and overhaul of nuclear propulsion plants onboard United States Naval Vessels. Jeff holds an undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering from Montana State University.