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April 13, 2009...Inlustra Technologies, a California-based startup spun out from the famous gallium nitride research laboratories at the University of California at Santa Barbara, has now developed what they claim is a scalable production process for nonpolar and semipolar GaN substrates. The company also reports that it is expanding its production facilities and has recently started to fill orders from customers. While conventional GaN devices are produced on the c-plane (known as the polar plane), Inlustra is using its propietary technology to produce mostly m-plane and a-plane gallium nitride.
Such substrates in theory would help increase internal quantum efficiency and efficacy of high brightness LEDs.
The company is reportedly putting an m-plane or a-plane oriented GaN film on a GaN substrate to overcome lattice mismatch and much of the crystal defects.
The company’s Chief Technology Officer, Paul Fini, worked on GaN research for some time at UCSB alongside the famous GaN and blue LED breakthrough artist, Shuji Nakamora. The company says it is currently offering nonpolar GaN substrate sizes between 5x10 mm and 10x20 mm but plans to scale up its process to 2” over the next 9 - 12 months.
"Our proprietary crystal growth techniques significantly reduces the number of microscopic defects in the substrates, which will enable our customers to realize improved yields in their device production processes," said Fini.
Company News Release
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Comtech Awarded $2.0 Million Contract for High-Power Amplifier System Spares
CompoundSemi News StaffApril 13, 2009...Comtech Telecommunications Corp. reported that its NewYork-based subsidiary, Comtech PST Corp., received a $2.0 million contract for broadband, solid state, high-power RF microwave amplifier system spares from an international original equipment manufacturer(OEM). According to the company, the spares are being provided in support of previously-fielded communications jamming high-power amplifier systems for the electronic warfare market.
“We are pleased to be able to generate new business while providingvaluable long-term support to our customer. This spares order willprovide value to the customer by extending the operating life ofpreviously sold high-power communication jamming amplifier systems,” Fred Kornberg, President and Chief Executive Officer of Comtech Telecommunications Corp., said.
Company News Release Satcon Announces Three Year, 330 MW Agreement with Ecostream
CompoundSemi News StaffApril 8, 2009...Satcon Technology Corporation, a provider of utility scale distributed power solutions with headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts USA, reports that it has signed a master supply agreement with Ecostream, a leading sustainable energy system provider. Under this agreement, Satcon will provide Ecostream, part of sustainable energy company Econcern, with its renewable energy conversion solutions, including the PowerGate Plus line of PV solar inverters.
Satcon says its highly optimized PowerGate Plus Solar PV inverters boost system power production and maximize the overall profitability of commercial and utility-scale solar PV systems. Satcon also boasts that it has delivered thousands of commercial and utility installations - cumulating millions of hours of highly reliable grid-connected power delivery. The company’s power conditioning systems come with 11 different power ratings ranging from 30 kW to 1 MW (UL and CE certified). According to the company, they are engineered from the ground up to meet the demands of large-scale installations. The PV inverters feature an outdoor-rated enclosure, advanced monitoring and control capabilities, and Edge, Satcon’s next-generation MPPT solution.
“In order to generate the greatest long-term value and return on investment for our customers, we must deliver the highest quality turn-key systems, built with industry leading technology,” said Steven Pleging, managing director of Ecostream. “Our partnership with Satcon will provide us with solutions that will increase total system performance through a combination of advanced capabilities, industry leading efficiency, and field tested reliability.”
Satcon Technology Corporation News Release
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Advanced Photonix, Inc. Joins 100G Consortium
CompoundSemi News StaffApril 8, 2009...Advanced Photonix, Inc. (API), through its subsidiary, Picometrix, LLC, a dominant maker of 40G high-speed optical receivers, announced that it has become a supporting member of the Georgia Institute of Technology 100G Optical Networking Consortium. In total, more than $2.2 million in support has been designated for this facility by the consortium's founding research members: ADVA Optical Networking, Ciena, OFS, and Verizon - and by supporting members Avanex, IBM, Narda Microwave East, Nistica, Picometrix, and RSoft Design Group. According to API of of Ann Arbor, Michigan USA, the consortium will conduct research including 100G fundamental transmission studies and component assessments for high-speed network infrastructure. API notes that the facility will utilize industry personnel for support and to conduct the research.
The consortium will study a variety of network architectures for the upcoming IEEE 100G standards.
API points out that the consortium includes having industry leaders working together to support standards that may be implementable over the existing fiber infrastructure, leading to faster deployment of the new technology.
"This consortium is an excellent example of the industry and university collaboration necessary to develop and test the next generation component technologies that will enable 100G optical transport on both the line side and client side," stated Robin Risser, president and general manager of Picometrix. "Close collaboration with consortium members will help accelerate our development and deployment of advanced 100G optical receivers."
API News Release
Dalian University of Technology Acquires Aixtron CCS MOCVD Tool for LEDs ResearchApril 7, 2009...The Research & Development Center of Optoelectronic Technology at Dalian University of Technology in Dalian City, China, has ordered Aixtron’s Close-Coupled Showerhead (CCS) MOCVD system for the production of gallium nitride (GaN) UV LEDs. The system, which is to be configured in the 3x2-inch wafer configuration. will be used for the research and development of what the university calls ultra-highbrightness (UHB) GaN LEDs. Aixtron says it will deliver the system in the second quarter of 2009. Aixtron News Release, Content continues for LIGHTimes SecondPage members... Compound Semiconductor Industry Declines Sharply With Recession: Strategy Analytics Says
CompoundSemi News StaffApril 6, 2009...Strategy Analytics reports that revenues in the Compound Semiconductor industry for the fourth quarter of 2008 declined an average of 15 percent sequentially.
The Strategy Analytics GaAs and Compound Semiconductor Technologies (GaAs) service, released its regular analysis of compound semiconductor industry news covering microelectronics, optoelectronics and materials/equipment markets. The company summarized the 2008 quarterly results for a number of industry players as a guideline to the overall health of the industry.
Strategy Analytics described an abrupt drop-off in fourth quarter sales, as demand from end markets ground to a halt. According to the company, a financial snapshot of companies offering optoelectronic products, materials and equipment showed a similar story to the RF market, with sequential revenues declining and profitability also taking a beating in the final quarter of 2008.
“Quarterly revenues dropped sequentially at an average of 15% for the industry, with individual companies seeing their revenues drop anywhere from 10% to 30%,” observed Asif Anwar at Strategy Analytics. “Profitability was also hit. In some cases, exceptional charges related to merger and acquisition activity over the past 12 to 18 months compounded the ability of companies to generate positive net income.”
Mr. Anwar concluded, “While the first quarter in 2009 will see further sequential reductions in revenue, Strategy Analytics believes that pockets of recovery will emerge in the second quarter, and current indicators suggest that the industry will start to see growth from the second half of 2009 moving into 2010.”
Company News Release Spire Semiconductor to Develop 42 Percent Efficient Concentrator Solar Cells
CompoundSemi News StaffApril 6, 2009...The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has awarded Spire Semiconductor a contract to develop triple junction solar concentrator cells that operate at 42 percent efficiency.
According to Spire of Bedford, Massachusetts USA, the technology that will be developed in the project will provide the processing platform for its “Triathlon” series of commercial concentrator solar cells.
Spire’s wholly owned subsidiary, Spire Semiconductor, LLC, has been awarded an 18-month, $3,706,359 from the Department of Energy’s NREL, consisting of $2,960,850 in government funding and a $745,509 cost share. Under the contract, Spire Semiconductor will leverage its solar manufacturing expertise to develop next-generation manufacturing technology to produce the efficient III-V three junction tandem concentrator solar cells.
“Our new growth technique has the potential for producing concentrator cells with record-level efficiencies with lower manufacturing costs and higher reliability.”
Roger G. Little, Chairman and CEO of Spire Corporation, added, “Spire has been involved in the solar energy market for over 25 years. Development of this cell will put us in an excellent position to capitalize on the growing market opportunity for custom gallium arsenide (GaAs) based solar cells for Concentrator Photovoltaic (CPV) systems.”
Spire Semiconductor News Release Northrop Grumman Settles Lawsuit Alleging False HBT Performance Claims
CompoundSemi News StaffApril 6, 2009...The United States Justice Department announced today that Northrop Grumman Corp., its subsidiary Northrop Grumman Space and Mission Systems Corp., and its predecessor TRW Inc. (collectively, Northrop) have agreed to settle for $325 million, False Claims Act allegations that Northrop provided and billed the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) for defective heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs), which were subsequently integrated into NRO satellite equipment. The Justice Department investigation concluded that Northrop and TRW made misrepresentations about, and concealed certain material facts regarding the reliability of the HBTs.
The settlement was announced by Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division Michael F. Hertz and the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, Thomas O'Brien. The settlement reportedly resolves a whistleblower lawsuit filed by Robert Ferro, Ph.D., an employee of The Aerospace Corporation. The government investigated Dr. Ferro's allegations and intervened in the lawsuit against Northrop in November 2008. Ferro filed his suit in US. District Court in the Central District of California in 2002. Under the settlement agreement, Dr. Ferro will receive $48.75 million as his share of the recovery in the HBT action under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act.
"The settlement of the HBT case demonstrates that the Department of Justice will investigate even the most complex and challenging allegations," said Michael F. Hertz, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department's Civil Division. "Today's settlement demonstrates that defense contractors will be held accountable and that the government will aggressively pursue all allegations of misconduct in the procurement process." U.S. Department of Justice News Release Our news features are reported
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