Polysilicon Shortage?

Hmm seems like this stuff is pretty hard to come by recently. And it may cut into the bottom line of companies that need silicon materials ie the semiconductor companies. it will be especially hard on companies like Cypress Semiconductor (CY) who make photo cells for solor power. The article says:

Polysilicon contract prices are up to $45 a kilogram from the mid-$30s one year ago, with bidding expected to reach $60 a kilogram next year as shortages become more dire.

Hmm, shortages like this should be good for the bottom lines of companies that make this stuff. There seem to be only 5 companies that make it. The companies are ASiMI, Hemlock, MEMC, Mitsubishi Materials and Wacker. Of these companies MEMC is publically traded. ASiMI seems to have been bought out by Renewable Energy Corp. AS of Norway. Hemlock is a joint venture of Dow Corning , Shin-Etsu Handotai Co. Ltd. and Mitsubishi Materials Corp. Wacker doesn't seem to have an ADRs. They are putting on capacity as fast as possible but it doesn't appear to be fast enough. This is an interesting thing about MEMC as well:

Another silicon wafer maker, MEMC Electronic Materials, Inc. (St. Peters, Mo.), also "produces polysilicon and is 90 percent self sufficient; not all silicon wafer producers are entirely shelf sufficient," Leming of Princeton Tech Research said.

I think he means self sufficient but that will put them a leg up on some companies out there. They seem to use the Polysilicon for their own wafers so they may not be able to sell the excess when prices go up.