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April 21, 2010...Amonix, Inc. a maker of concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) solar systems, reports that it has raised $129.4 million Series B financing round led by Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers. Other participants in the round include Adams Street Partners, Angeleno Group, PCG Clean Energy & Technology Fund, Vedanta Capital LP, New Silk Route, The Westly Group, and current investor MissionPoint Capital Partners. Amonix will reportedly use the funding speed up deployments of its CPV systems and expand the company's manufacturing capacity. While much funding has been loaned to many companies which have entered the thin film CIGS solar market, considerably fewer have ventured into the CPV solar market.

Amonix previously raised $25 million in Series A funding from Goldman Sachs Group and MissionPoint Capital, and also received $15.6 million in grant funding through the Department of Energy Solar America Initiative (SAI). In 2010, Amonix received $9.5 million in stimulus funding as part of the federal Recovery Act’s Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit. The funding from the Recovery Act’s Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit expected to lead to 269 new clean energy manufacturing jobs in Nevada and 167 new jobs in Arizona. “Amonix CPV systems have emerged as the lowest cost solar technology for sunny and dry environments,” said Ben Kortlang, Partner of Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers. “Developers and utilities are choosing Amonix systems because of their 15-year track record in the field, high reliability, ease of deployment and industry-leading efficiency.” Amonix News Release

EADS Defence & Security and Alcatel-Lucent Form Strategic Alliance to Provide Broadband for US Public Safety Market
CompoundSemi News Staff

April 21, 2010...EADS Defense & Security and Alcatel-Lucent have signed a strategic alliance to develop and supply advanced broadband solutions to the public safety market in the United States. The joint solution is based on the emerging 4G standard called (long term evolution) LTE and pubic safety project 251 (P25) mobile technologies and has a 700 MHz spectrum offering. The solution will reportedly provide critical communications to state and local public safety organizations (fire, police and ambulance departments) through a fully integrated, end-to-end solution based on advanced, reliable mobile and IP technologies.

Alcatel-Lucent indicated that it will adapt its LTE-based radio access network, enhanced packet core, IMS and IP backhaul infrastructure and systems to the frequency band dedicated to broadband public safety services in the U.S. Alcatel-Lucent will also provide integration, validation and testing solutions and services. According to the companies, the joint solution will greatly enhance interoperable voice, video and data communications among different agencies to streamline operations and reduce costs. The cooperation may eventually be expanded to worldwide markets and other frequencies

“We are looking to propose mission-critical systems combining the strengths of our COR P25 radio system open architecture with the next generation of networks and applications in order to better respond to customer requirements,” said Hervé Guillou, CEO of Defence & Communications Systems in EADS Defence & Security. Alcatel-Lucent News Release

Efficient Power Conversion Corporation Introduces the EPC9002 Development Board
CompoundSemi News Staff

April 21, 2010...Efficient Power Conversion Corporation (EPC) of El Segundo, California has introduced the EPC9002 development board. According to the company, the development board is designed to make it easier for users to get started designing with EPC’s 100V enhancement-mode GaN transistor products. The EPC9002 development board has a 50 V maximum input voltage, 7 A maximum output current, half bridge with onboard gate drives, and uses the EPC1001 100V GaN Power Transistor. EPC notes that the purpose of the development board is to simplify the evaluation process of the EPC1001 GaN power transistor. EPC says that the board does this by including all the critical components on a single board that can be easily connected into any existing converter.

The EPC9002 development board measures 2” x 1.5” and contains two EPC1001 GaN transistors in a half bridge configuration with gate drivers, an on board gate drive supply, and all critical components with a layout for optimal switching performance. The board also includes various probe points to facilitate simple waveform measurement and efficiency calculation. EPC News Release

Oregon State University Researchers Develop Continuous Flow Microreactor for Making Absorbers for Thin Film Solar Cells
CompoundSemi News Staff

April 20, 2010...Engineers from Oregon State University and Yeungnam University in Korea have written an article appearing in Current Applied Physics, about a system that performs chemical bath deposition to produce absorbers for thin film solar cells. Chemical bath deposition was actually developed more than a hundred years ago, but it was difficult to control the thickness, and the depletion of reactants also limits the achievable thickness.

The OSU engineers invented a continuous flow microreactor to deposit "nanostructure films" on surfaces. This technology reportedly addresses some of the issues with chemical bath deposition, and the engineers expect that eventually the process may be more commercially viable. “We’ve now demonstrated that this system can produce thin-film solar absorbers on a glass substrate in a short time, and that’s quite significant,” said Chih-hung Chang, an associate professor in the OSU School of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering. “That’s the first time this has been done with this new technique.”

According to Chang, more work is needed on process control, testing of the finished solar cell, improving its efficiency to rival that of vacuum-based technology, and scaling up the process to a commercial application. More advances such as this are expected to emerge from the new Oregon Process Innovation Center for Sustainable Solar Cell Manufacturing, a $2.7 million initiative based at OSU, which will include the the work of about 20 faculty from OSU, the University of Oregon, Portland State University and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Oregon State University News

Delft University of Technology Orders Aixtron 4-inch Black Magic Tool
CompoundSemi News Staff

April 20, 2010...Aixtron AG reports that Delft University of Technology, Netherlands has placed an order for one of Aixtron's Black Magic CNT (carbon nanotube) deposition systems. The system is installed in a 1x4 inch wafer configuration in the Class 10,000 cleanroom of the Delft Institute of Microsystems and Nanoelectronics (DIMES) at the Delft University of Technology. DIMES is a well equipped institute with Class 100-10,000 cleanrooms, MEMS laboratory and Special Applications Laboratory, covering 1500m2 in area. Delft University of Technology reportedly decided on Aixtron's Black Magic system after evaluating various tools in terms of low temperature deposition and system flexibility. Professor

Ryoichi Ishihara of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS) at DIMES commented, "The Black Magic system is a proven equipment for CNT growth. The system is flexible and robust, offering a wide range of processing capabilities to enable us to produce various types of CNT. These unique features attracted us for our research on CNT growth and MEMS devices." Aixtron News Release

Ascent Solar Modules to be Integrated into Samsonite Carry Case Products
CompoundSemi News Staff

April 14, 2010...Ascent Solar of Thornton, Colorado USA, is again making news. The company announced that Samsonite, the maker of luggage, has selected its flexible copper indium gallium diselenide modules to be integrated into its new line of solar luggage. The solar luggage is expected to be initially rolled out this summer. Ascent Solar notes that the companies have been working together through product development.

Lynne Berard, Samsonite VP Sales & Marketing stated, "As our lives depend more and more on mobile electronics and the need to power and carry such devices, we believe that integrating solar panels into our carrying case solutions will be a game changer in the industry. By utilizing the unique, flexible, lightweight, rugged and subtle modules from Ascent Solar, we are able to provide our customers with power on the go, while not compromising our stringent standards for quality and style."

"Samsonite is a name that needs no introduction. They are a global leader in luggage and consumer travel products through innovation and customer service," said Farhad Moghadam, President and CEO of Ascent Solar. "Our selection by Samsonite gives Ascent Solar a clear path to market with solar integrated consumer products and establishes Ascent as a solar technology solution provider that can meet the needs of consumers demanding a rugged and light-weight portable way to power their electronics."
Ascent Solar News Release

RFMD Adds to Portfolio of Single-Chip ISM Band Transceivers
CompoundSemi News Staff

April 14, 2010...RF Micro Devices (RFMD) of Greensboro, North Carolina USA, announced the introduction of the ML2730, a single-chip fully integrated Frequency Shift Keyed (FSK) transceiver with integrated power amplifier (PA) and low noise amplifier (LNA). The ML2730 expands RFMD's portfolio of ISM band single-chip transceivers, covering 900 MHz, 2.4GHz and 5.8GHz.

RFMD optimized the ML2730 for a variety of wireless media applications (audio, video, and data) operating in the 2.400GHz to 2.485GHz unlicensed ISM band. The high data rate capability of the ML2730 reportedly supports streaming applications like wireless audio and video, and the ML2730 is also suitable for a variety of radio controlled applications. RFMD says that integration of the power amplifier and the low noise amplifier on a single chip enables customers to develop robust wireless links with improved sensitivity and output power while reducing both costs and board size. Company News Release

Taiwan Government Establishes CIGS Industry Alliance

April 13, 2010...Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) on April 6th, announced the formation of the Taiwan copper-indium-gallium-selenide (CIGS) Industry Alliance, according to a Digitimes article. The alliance will reportedly attempt to promote development of CIGS thin-film PV modules in Taiwan. The alliance's goal is to reduce the average production cost to US$1/W in 2011.

The MOEA indicated in the article that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) and AU Optronics (AUO) in addition to several suppliers of CIGS materials and equipment, and module makers have joined the alliance. The MOEA says that the alliance serve as a platform for sharing information and cooperation to help the industry bring together resources and technological capabilities.

In the first phase the alliance plans to develop key materials and equipment from July 2010 to the end of 2011. Then during the second phase, the MOEA reportedly plans to integrate to offer turnkey production lines by the end of 2012.

Cambrios Technologies Selects Ascent Solar as PV Partner for Department of Defense Contract

April 13, 2010...Ascent Solar of Thornton, Colorado USA reports that Cambrios Technologies Corporation, a developer of wet-processed, transparent conductive films, has selected Ascent to help investigate how these films can be applied to lightweight, flexible copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) photovoltaics. This topic is part of a recently-awarded United States Army contract W911QY-BAA-09-11-1 from the U.S. Army's Natick research facility.

Cambrios will deliver flexible solar cells that incorporate a Cambrios ClearOhm electrode layer as part of the program undertaken on behalf of the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center (NSRDEC), C. It is expected that these cells will be 1 to 3 percent more efficient than the equivalent cells made with the conventional transparent electrode material. Ascent Solar points out that the U.S. military is the single largest consumer of energy in the world, and energy supply is an important issue for each and every soldier. The U.S. Military has widely deployed Solar energy to power permanent and temporary military installations and to reduce the weight carried by soldiers, Ascent Solar indicated. Ascent insists that flexible cells can allow them to be more easily deployed on a variety of surfaces such as tents, clothing, and backpacks.

"Ascent Solar has very high efficiency CIGS solar cells so they are the perfect partner for this program," said Cambrios CEO Dr. Michael Knapp. "Unlike transparent conductive oxides typically used as thin film solar cell electrodes, Cambrios' ClearOhm material is also highly flexible." Ascent Solar News Release

Changelight Plans ROY UHB LED Ramp Boost with Two Additional Aixtron MOCVD Tools
CompoundSemi News Staff

April 13, 2010...Aixtron AG of Aachen, Germany reports that Changelight Co. Ltd., of China has ordered two additional MOCVD tools for the production of red, orange, and yellow (ROY) ultra-high brightness LEDs. The order which was for two AIX 2600G3 IC multiwafer production systems, was placed in the fourth quarter of 2009 and both systems will be shipped in the second quarter of 2010. A year ago, Changelight received its first AIX 2600G3 Planetary Reactor system.

Prof. Wang Xiang Wu, General Manager Changelight, who has a decade of experience working on Planetary MOCVD reactors, commented, “The addition of a further pair of AIX 2600G3 systems will underpin the next step in our company strategy to become the leader of the Chinese optoelectronics industry. They will provide a major capacity boost for UHB ROY LED products – we are already a leader in UHB ROY LED products and now Changelight is working hard to provide the very best products for China’s solid-state lighting program. " Aixtron News Release

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