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Editorial: TriQuint Ranked Top GaAs Foundry
... Accounting for 50% of the now $3.6 billion market for GaAs devices (and rising at an impressive 17% per year), TriQuint, RF Micro Devices and Skyworks continue to drive the tenacious GaAs segment of the compound semi industry. According to Strategy Analytics' annual ranking, TriQuint remained what SA termed...
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September 29, 2008...RFMD of Greensboro, North Carolina USA, has announced the opening of
a customer support center in Bangalore, India. The company points out that the new customer support center in Bangalore is part of its growing presence in Asia and specifically in India.
RFMD says it will conduct applications engineering, customer service, sales management, and technical sales from its Bangalore customer support center. RFMD says that with the employees going to the new center the company will have a total of nearly 100 sales, applications engineering, and customer service employees working in seven customer support centers throughout Asia. RFMD says that the Bangalore center will allow the company to support regional manufacturers in Greater India, The company says that these manufacturers are increasingly developing leading-edge products for wireless and other applications. The available customer base in India includes growing markets such as aerospace and defense, broadband, cellular, WiFi and WiMAX, and wireless infrastructure, according to RFMD.
Greg Thompson, RFMD's vice president of sales for its Multi-Market Products Group, said, “Our Bangalore center will provide product designers in India with real-time access to our world-class technical support; this center will also provide assistance to a wide range of customers as they drive greater levels of functional integration in RF applications across multiple growth segments. We are excited to offer customers in India greater access to the most diverse portfolio of RF components available." Company News Release Crystal IS Hires New CEO to Lead Company into LED Market
CompoundSemi News StaffSeptember 29, 2008...Crystal IS, Inc. of Green Island, New York USA , a supplier of single crystal aluminum nitride substrates, has hired Dr. Steven Berger as president and CEO. Crystal IS reports that it recently utilized its aluminum nitride substrates to develop deep ultraviolet LEDs. The company says that after demonstrating significant performance improvements from the use of its low dislocation substrates, it is almost ready to take the deep UV LEDs to market.
Crystal IS says that Dr. Berger’s experience of bringing new products to market during his most recent role in the FEI, a electron microscope manufacturing company, will greatly help Crystal IS make the transition to becoming a commercial supplier of deep UV LEDs. The deep UV LEDs will operate at 265nm, what the company say is the peak germicidal wavelength. The company says it will target the water and air disinfection markets, and the LEDs will be available in 2009.
During his 10 years at FEI, Steven reportedly helped bring new products to market profitability in his positions as chief operating officer and chief technology officer. There he was part of the executive management team that grew FEI from $150M to over $600M in revenue. Prior to joining FEI, Steven was a technical manager at AT&T’s Bell Labs. He also taught at Cambridge University, UK, after receiving his PhD from the Cavendish Laboratory. Crystal IS News Release CPV Company, GreenVolts Gets $30 Million in Funding
CompoundSemi News StaffSeptember 29, 2008...GreenVolts of San Francisco, California USA, a photovoltaic concentrator maker, has secured $30 million in Series B funding from Oak Investment Partners. The company uses a combination of multi-junction solar cells and proprietary reflective technology and optics that follow the sun.
GreenVolts contends it will deliver world’s largest non-silicon concentrating photovoltaic project with the first megawatt to be completed in late 2008.
The CPV plant, known as the GV1 project, will be built as part of the company’s agreement with Pacific Gas and Electric. GreenVolts is reportedly a utility-scale solar technology company focused on delivering wholesale-distributed generation solutions that are designed to produce the low cost solar energy on a massive scale.
The company boasts that its system has an “unparalleled” efficiency for conversion of sunlight to electricity.
“We will soon be generating energy from the sun at what will be the world’s largest non-silicon CPV power plant,” said Bob Cart, founder and CEO of GreenVolts.
“GreenVolts has quietly built a company and a technology that will alter the playing field for solar energy,” said Brian Hinman, Venture Partner of Oak Investment Partners. “We believe that over time the GreenVolts system can produce solar energy more efficiently and at a lower levelized cost than competing photovoltaic technologies, dramatically accelerating the adoption timeline for CPV systems.” GreenVolts News Release Oxford Instruments Sells its MBE Business to Riber
CompoundSemi News StaffSeptember 24, 2008...Oxford Instruments plc, a high technology tools and systems company, announced that its subsidiary Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology Ltd (OIPT) has sold its molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) business to Riber SA of Bezons, France. OIPT says that it plans to enhance existing product lines and expand into new markets, as well as develop new products for its portfolio. The company says that transferring its MBE business will allow it to focus more on the growth markets of the past year. OIPT points out that focusing on the growth areas is consistent with the company’s strategy to double the size of the business and increase return on sales by ten percentage points. The MBE business transfer takes place prior to OIPT’s relocation to a new facility.
Riber is a leader in MBE equipment and components, and it provides MBE equipment and components to public and private major research centers and industrial foundry companies. Riber notes that its acquisition of OIPT’s MBE business is in line with its strategy to develop sales of service and accessories for MBE equipment. Riber expects that the acquisition will strongly reinforce its share of the MBE market in Europe, North America, and Asia. With the number of MBE systems having increased from about 500 to 800, Riber says that it will henceforth be able to service approximately 75% of the worldwide installed base. According to Riber, its extensive support structure will ensure that OIPT’s MBE customers will continue to receive world class service and support. Oxford Instruments News Release Researchers Achieve 39.7% Concentrator Solar Cell Efficiency, A New European Record
CompoundSemi News StaffSeptember 24, 2008...Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) reports that it has achieved 39.7% efficiency for multi-junction solar concentrator cells. Its researchers in Freiburg have exceeded their own European record of 37.6% which they achieved recently. They used III-V semiconductor multi-junction solar cells in photovoltaic concentrator technology for solar power stations. In photovoltaic concentrator systems, optimum efficiency is achieved at between 300-600 suns (sunlight concentrated by a factor of 300-600). The researchers point out that the metal wires in the front grid must be big enough to transport large currents with low resistance, but as small as possible because the cell area covered by metal cannot be used for the electrical conversion. “We have improved the contact structures of our solar cells,” says Frank Dimroth, Head of the III-V – Epitaxy and Solar Cells Group at Fraunhofer ISE. “As a result, using the same semiconductor structures, we now achieve the higher efficiency when converting sunlight into electricity.”
The record efficiency metamorphic (lattice mismatched) triple-junction solar cells made of Ga0.35In0.65P, Ga0.83In0.17As and Ge were based on this work sponsored by the EU Project Fullspectrum (SES6-CT-2003-502620). They were designed for inhomogeneous radiation like concentrated sunlight. More than 30 single layers are deposited on a germanium substrate using metal-organic vapour-phase epitaxy (MOVPE). “We are very pleased to have advanced a further decisive step in such a short amount of time,” says Dr. Andreas Bett, Department Head at Fraunhofer ISE. Fraunhofer ISE News Release
Spire Corp. Teams with Wright Williams & Kelly, Inc. to Produce Cost Modeling Software for Solar Cell Production Lines
CompoundSemi News StaffSeptember 24, 2008...Spire has collaborated with Wright Williams & Kelly, Inc. (WWK) of Pleasanton, California USA, to provide Spire's clients with an unprecedented view of their production costs and return on investment. WWK, a developer of cost modeling software for high-tech industries, worked with Spire to create a photovoltaic module cost modeling computer application for Spire’s clients. Spire produces gallium arsenide solar modules and provides turnkey solar cell production lines.
David Jimenez, WWK's President, commented, "We are pleased to be working with such a forward-looking firm as Spire. Rapid changes in the solar business, coupled with increased investments, have made the environment too complex for companies to adequately analyze their business opportunities and risks using homegrown spreadsheets. Spire's move to integrate Factory Commander(R) into their business practices will provide their customers with the most realistic view of projected operating costs and profitability, providing Spire and their clients a distinct competitive advantage." WWK News Release Evident Technologies Announces Issuance of Patent for III-V Quantum Dots
CompoundSemi News StaffSeptember 23, 2008...Evident Technologies, one of the first companies to produce products based on semiconductor nanocrystals, announced that it has been issued of US Patent No. 7,399,429. The patent covers the ability to make semiconductor nanocrystals (quantum dots) from III-V materials, including indium gallium phosphide. The company says that its newly issued patent represents a dramatic increase in the advancement of semiconductor materials science and augments the breadth of the its intellectual property portfolio. The company has previously launched commercial products in LED and lighting, military, and life science markets. Evident points out that its wide range of semiconductor nanocrystal materials are already used in products in a variety of markets from electronics to life science reagents. Evident says that companies and research institutes alike can benefit from this new, patented technology. Content continues for LIGHTimes SecondPage members... Tower Semiconductor Merges with Jazz Technologies
CompoundSemi News StaffSeptember 22, 2008...Tower Semiconductor, an independent specialty wafer foundry based in Migdal Haemek, Isreal has completed its merger with Jazz Technologies. Jazz Technologies is an analog and mixed signal foundry solution provider. As a result of the merger, Jazz Technologies and its subsidiary, Jazz Semiconductor have become wholly owned subsidiaries of Tower Semiconductor. Under the terms of the stock-for-stock transaction, Tower acquired all of the outstanding shares of Jazz. Each outstanding share of Jazz common stock was converted into 1.8 Tower ordinary shares. Each outstanding warrant and outstanding option to acquire Jazz common stock became exercisable for 1.8 Tower ordinary shares, and Jazz’s convertible notes became convertible into 1.8 Tower ordinary shares.
Tower’s name will remain the same and Jazz Semiconductor will be known as Jazz Semiconductor, Inc., a Tower Group Company. Russell Ellwanger, Tower’s chief executive officer, has been named chairman of the board of directors of Jazz. Tower says he will be responsible for developing final details of the merged organizational structure and the integration plan over the next several months. Gilbert F. Amelio will retire as Jazz Chairman and CEO. Amelio will serve as special advisor to Tower’s board of directors.
Ellwanger stated, “Technology leadership and scale are critical in meeting the unique requirements of our customers, and with the merger now complete, we will continue to focus on customer needs for increased capacity, expanded process offerings and industry-leading design enablement services.” Tower Semiconductor News Release California Energy Commission Approves SolFocus Concentrator PV Panels
CompoundSemi News StaffSeptember 22, 2008...SolFocus of Mountain View, California USA, announced that its first commercial product, the SF-1000P Concentrator Photovoltaic (CPV) panels, has met the rigorous reliability and safety standards of the California Energy Commission (CEC). Also, the SF-1000P Concentrator Photovoltaic (CPV) panels have been placed on the Eligible California Solar Initiative (CSI) Photovoltaic Modules Renewables Equipment List. The list confirms that the solar equipment has been has passed the CEC’s rigorous tests for safety and performance, and has met the requirements California Public Utility (CPUC). The CEC listing qualifies solar system buyers for rebates against the cost of new installation. SolFocus became the first manufacturer of CPV systems to be listed by the CEC.
SolFocus CPV technology utilizes reflective optics to magnify the light from the sun 500 times onto small, highly efficient solar cells, which use a mere 1/1000th of the expensive solar cell material as traditional solar solutions. SolFocus points out that its CPV panels are made largely with common materials such as aluminum and glass and are over 95 percent recyclable. They boast the lowest carbon footprint in manufacturing. Certification specialist Six 9’s Reliable, L.L.C. worked with SolFocus in achieving the listing with the CEC.
“Not only is this an important achievement for SolFocus as we have reached the phase of commercialization of our CPV systems,” commented SolFocus President Mark Crowley, “but the thumbs up from the CEC is another proof point that CPV technology is a serious, scalable source of clean, renewable electricity.”
Company News Release Ascent Solar's Management Changes
CompoundSemi News StaffSeptember 22, 2008...Ascent Solar, a maker of CIGS solar cells, announced that Mathew Foster, the company’s president and CEO has resigned after the board and its President and CEO mutually decided that a change of leadership was needed. Foster's resignation is effective September 19, 2008. Dr. Mohan Misra, Ascent Solar’s chairman and chief strategy officer, will reportedly serve as the company's interim president resident and CEO until a permanent replacement is found. Ascent Solar says it intends to initiate a search immediately, and Mr. Foster will continue in a consultant capacity focusing on global expansion and business development for a period of one year. The company noted that Dr. Misra will begin transitioning into the role of interim President and Chief Executive Officer immediately. Dr. Misra, who has served as Ascent Solar's Chairman since October 2005 and as its Chief Strategy Officer since April 2007, previously founded and served as the chief executive officer of ITN Energy Systems, Inc. (ITN) since 1994.
“Ascent Solar is transitioning from a research and development company to a manufacturing and commercially focused organization. I am pleased to have been the leader of Ascent Solar during this initial stage, and I felt that new leadership would be better at leading Ascent Solar’s next phase of growth where operational and manufacturing expertise will be critical. I expect Ascent Solar to continue to grow as a leader in the thin film photovoltaics arena,” Mr. Foster stated. Company News Release Our news features are reported
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