Solibro AB Becomes Wholly Owned Subsidiary of Q-Cells SE
CompoundSemi News StaffJune 29, 2009...Q-Cells SE, a producer of silicon-based thin-film solar cells headquartered in Bitterfeld-Wolfen, Germany, has purchased the Swedish joint venture and CIGS technology company, Solibro AB.
Q-Cells notes that currently, Solibro's modules achieve an average efficiency rating per module of around 10% with the peak values in excess of 11%.
Solibro GmbH was formed as a joint venture by Q-Cells and Solibro AB at the end of 2006 to commercialize a CIGS thin- film technology developed at the University of Uppsala.
Solibro GmbH will now become a fully consolidated, wholly owned subsidiary of Q-Cells SE rather than an investment carried at equity.
Q-Cells will own 100 percent of Solibro AB stock after trading 3,988,170 shares of Q-Cells SE with Solibro GmbH and others of the pension fund, "6th Swedish National Pension Fund" for the shares of Solibro AB. 50 percent of the Q-Cells shares are subject to a lock-up period of 180 days.
"The potential of Solibro's thin-film modules lies in the combination of high efficiency ratings with extremely low costs per watt. After we successfully implemented this potential in mass production as well, Solibro became an integral component of Q-Cells' thin-film strategy," said Dr. Florian Holzapfel, member of the Executive Board of Q-Cells SE and Head of the New Technologies division. Q-Cells News Release June 29, 2009...Comtech Telecommunications Corp. reported that its Santa Clara, California-based subsidiary, Comtech Xicom Technology, Inc., received an order for $1.3M in high-power traveling wave tube amplifier (TWTA) equipment for satellite communications. The TWTAs will reportedly support uplink transmission for direct-to-home (DTH) high-speed Internet access over satellite.
According to Comtech, the high-power TWTAs are designed to operate in the emerging Ka-band frequency, which is well-suited for DTH applications. The Ka-band reportedly offers extended bandwidth, making it ideal for high data rate applications such as video and always-on Internet access.
Comtech boasts that Xicom offers the most cost-effective and reliable solution for SATCOM, and provides the end-users flexibility to grow their business. The company's product range encompasses power levels from 8W to 3 kW, with frequency coverage in sub-bands within the 2 GHz to 45.5 GHz spectrum. The company offers amplifiers for fixed and ground-based, ship-board, and airborne mobile applications.
Fred Kornberg, President and Chief Executive Officer of Comtech Telecommunications Corp., commented, "The business case for outdoor TWTA's in DTH uplinks is truly compelling. DTH providers can capture an immediate benefit from this solution in lower acquisition and upgrade costs, meaningful reductions in electricity usage, and minimal facilities impacts. "
Company News Release
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Fraunhofer Institute Orders Aixtron MOCVD Tool for Multi-junction Solar Cell Development
CompoundSemi News StaffJune 29, 2009...Aixtron reports that the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) of Freiburg, Germany ordered an Aixtron MOCVD tool for mult-junction solar cell development. The institute placed the order for the AIX 2800G4-R MOCVD tool with automated wafer handler in the 8x6 inch configuration. Aixtron says that the system will be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2009. Aixtron notes that the the purchase was funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (the BMBF) and the Fraunhofer Society. According to Aixtron, the new tool will form the centerpiece of a program to develop and produce next generation triple- and multi-junction solar cells in cooperation with industrial partners.
The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) reportedly researches the technology required to provide energy efficiently and on an environmentally sound basis in industrialized, threshold, and developing countries. Dr Frank Dimroth, head of the III-V Epitaxy and Solar Cells group at the Fraunhofer ISE commented, “ I was impressed by the improvements which have been made in the reactor design compared to our current AIX 2600G3 system. The new Aixtron technology allows us to transfer our R&D processes up to high-volume mass-production which is a prime target for our development project.”
Aixtron News Release Emcore Awarded Contracts From Air Force Research Laboratory and PNM
CompoundSemi News StaffJune 24, 2009...Emcore Corporation, a solar power innovator based in Albuquerque, New Mexico USA reports that it has been awarded a $5.7 million cost-plus fixed-fee contract from the Air Force Research Laboratory. Emcore was also awarded a 20-year contract from the PNM, New Mexico's largest electricity provider for PNM's distributed generation solar power program.
The contract from the Air Force Research Laboratory at Kirtland Air Force Base, is for the development of high-efficiency photovoltaic solar cells.
Under the two year contract, Emcore will demonstrate high efficiency solar cells for space applications and investigate advanced photovoltaic devices based on inverted metamorphic (IMM) structures. The contract also includes a an additional twelve-month award of $3.4 million for advanced IMM development once the base contract has been completed. Funding for the entire contract has been appropriated.
Emcore News Release.
The 20-year agreement with PNM consists of 114 kilowatts of solar power produced for 2nd and 3rd generation concentrator photovoltaics onsite at Emcore's corporate headquarters in Albuquerque.
The electric power will come from Emcore's 2nd and 3rd generation concentrator photovoltaics (CPV) systems installed next to its Albuquerque facility. The power is fed to Emcore's buildings through a PNM-approved REC meter. This is reportedly the company's first distributed generation application.
"This is a significant milestone in advancing solar power applications for both Emcore and PNM. The DG program allows power to be generated close to the point of use and distributed without requiring a comprehensive transmission infrastructure," Christopher Larocca commented.
Emcore News Release Fujitsu Makes GaN HEMT to Improve Power Supply Efficiency
CompoundSemi News StaffJune 24, 2009...Fujitsu announced a new gallium nitride-based high electron mobility transistor that it says minimizes power loss in power supplies.
The company says that this results in reduced power consumption of electronic equipment such as IT hardware and home electronics. According to Fujitsu, the new technology blocks the flow of current from power supplies in stand-by mode and produces high-density current when turned on (on-state current)(3), and has the potential to cut power consumption of electronic equipment by one-third. If applied to data centers, Fujitsu's new GaN HEMT would be able to reduce total power consumption by 12%.
The company says that power lost as heat can account for up to 30% or more of the power lost from an electronic device such as a laptop, and in some cases additional power is required for cooling equipment.
Details of this technology were presented at the Device Research Conference 2009 (DRC 2009) being held at Penn State University in University Park, Pennsylvania, U.S. from June 22 to 24.
Company News Release
GigOptix Inc. Announces Extension of DARPA Research Contract
CompoundSemi News StaffJune 22, 2009...GigOptix Inc. of Palo Alto, California USA, announced the extension of its contract with DARPA MTO; SPAWAR Pacific is the contracting agency.
GigOptix was awarded additional work from Space and Naval Warfare Systems (SPAWAR) to fabricate low driving voltage, broadband Mach-Zehnder (MZ) modulators using its Electro-Optic (EO) polymer material for operation at very low temperatures for supercomputer applications. According to the GigOptix, the extension of $346,000 brings the total value of the contract to approximately $6.1 million, and opens new areas for use of the modulators. GigOptix notes that its Electro-optic polymer enables the components to meet the size, weight and power, high-bandwidth, and immunity to electromagnetic interference requirements that are crucial for many defense applications.
"Due to their intrinsic properties, the EO materials incorporated in GigOptix’s high speed polymer modulators have the potential to operate not only with low driving voltage but also at very low temperatures. Our technology is capable of effectively addressing all these requirements simultaneously," said Dr. Raluca Dinu, Vice President and General Manager of GigOptix-Bothell business unit. "We are excited that GigOptix's EO polymer technology has once more proven its breadth and applicability for demanding military applications. We are continuing in parallel to commercialize the modulator for telecom applications and prove that EO polymers can offer the reliability requested by the industry."
GigOptix News Release RFMD Introduces Family of Amplifiers for Applications with Frequencies Up to 35 GHz
CompoundSemi News StaffJune 22, 2009...RF Micro Devices (RFMD) of Greensboro, North Carolina USA, has added five new distributed amplifiers for broadband, high-frequency applications. The company boasts that SDA-1000 through 5000 series of distributed amplifiers provide superior gain and output power (from 20 GHz to 35 GHz) for high frequency commercial, military, and space applications.
The distributed amplifiers are reportedly based upon GaAs pseudomorphic high electron mobility transistor (pHEMT) technology. According to the company, two follow-on high-performance amplifiers, to be introduced as an extension to this product family, will deliver similar wideband high-frequency performance and will increase operating frequency up to 50 GHz while having low noise.
"These new products deliver superior performance and provide a solid foundation for our broadband microwave amplifier product family," said Jeff Shealy, general manager of RFMD's Defense and Power business unit.
Kevin Kobayashi, an RFMD Fellow, stated, "We are also developing products with higher sensitivity, linearity and multi-Watt power output exploiting advanced semiconductors like gallium nitride and indium phosphide." Company News Release
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