• Today's news
• Company
  News Releases
• Search
• Events
• CS Stocks
• Comics

ZSW CIGS Thin-film Solar Cell Achieves 20.1% Efficiency

May 4, 2010...In the lab at the Zentrum für Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff-Forschung (Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research, ZSW) in Germany, a CIGS thin-film solar cell has reached an efficiency of 20.1%, according to an article on the site, Renewable Energy Focus.com. The copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) solar thin-film cell was reportedly produced in the ZSW research laboratory in Stuttgart. "This record is for thin-film technology in general and not just CIGS solar cells," said Dr. Michael Powalla, Member of the Board and Head of the Photovoltaics Division at ZSW. The tiny cell had an area 0.5 cm2 and was produced in a CIGS laboratory coating plant using a modified co-evaporation process. The article noted that in theory, the co-evaporation process can be scaled up to a commercial production process. The thin-film solar cell with a CIGS layer and contact layers reportedly has a total thickness of 4 µm. Fraunhofer ISE in Freiburg, Germany has confirmed the new results. As the article points out, commercially available CIGS thin-film solar modules currently range from 10% to 12% efficiency. ZSW contends that efficiency levels of up to 15% can be achieved in commercial modules within few years.

Veeco Announces Winners of Veeco Labs Energy Innovation Research Grants
CompoundSemi News Staff

May 4, 2010...Veeco of Plainview, New York, a provider of scanning probe microscopes (SPM), announced the winners of the second phase of the Veeco Labs Research Grant Program, “Energy Innovation", which was created to facilitate Veeco's collaboration with leading SPM community scientists. The second phase solicited development and validation proposals for using an SPM to speed the characterization of, facilitate the development of, improve the yield/efficiency of, or enhance the fundamental understanding of energy generation, storage , or conservation. A panel of Veeco scientists judged the proposals.

The winners received Veeco’s Electronics Module Packages (worth up to $27,500 retail) for their universities.           Brooke Beam of the University of Arizona, won with the proposal, “Mapping the Interfacial Electrical Properties of Organic Photovoltaic Devices”. Qiao Chen of the University of Sussex won with the proposal, “In-situ Mapping of Electronic Property of Active Anode for Water Splitting with C-AFM”.     Rolf Crook, Simon Connell, and Stephen Evans of the University of Leeds won with their proposal, “Scanning Capacitance Microscopy/Photovoltaic Generation”.   Palash Gangopadhyay, Jayan Thomas, and Robert A. Norwood of the University of Arizona won with the proposal, “Conducting AFM Modulator”.   Gajendra Shekhawat of Northwestern University won with the proposal, “SPM-Based Nanopatterning of Piezoactuators and Nanorods for Photovoltaics”.   Adam Stieg of the University of California, Los Angeles won with his proposal, “Pyroelectricity for Energy Harvesting”. Christopher M. Yip and Timothy P. Bender of the University of Toronto had a proposal entitled, “Combinatorial Microscopies for the Characterization of Photovoltaic Materials”.

Enfinity Signs Agreement to be Solyndra Solutions Provider
CompoundSemi News Staff

May 4, 2010...Solyndra, Inc., a manufacturer of CIGS-based cylindrical photovoltaic (PV) systems for commercial rooftops, reports that it has signed a "Solyndra Gold Level Solutions Provider" agreement with Enfinity, of Belgium. Enfinity offers financing and development for renewable energy systems. "Enfinity demonstrated their excellent customer service with a 340 kW project completed in Belgium this past year.  We have been working closely with them to evaluate our systems in Northern Europe, resulting in a new 2 megawatt order and a multi-megawatt pipeline," said Chris Gronet, Solyndra's CEO. "Their global reach and outstanding reputation for technical and service excellence makes them a great addition to our Solutions Provider Program."

"We have been very impressed with the ease of installing Solyndra panels and the lightweight, non-penetrating mounting system," said Hans De Backer, CEO Enfinity Group. "With the low balance of system costs, and other benefits, Solyndra is a great addition to our product lines. We look forward to growing our relationship and to offering Solyndra panels to customers around the world."

Aixtron on Track for Record Year; Gets Order from ETH Zurich for 4-inch Black Magic Tool for CNT Nanofluidics
CompoundSemi News Staff

May 4, 2010...Aixtron is reportedly on track to a record year in revenues and profits with a very strong first quarter, according to posted quarterly earnings for Q1 2010. Aixtron also reported a previous order for one Black Magic CNT (carbon nanotube) deposition system from ETH Zurich, a leading Institute in Switzerland. The system was installed in a 1x4 inch wafer configuration at the Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering.

Professor Hyung Gyu Park, Head of the Nanoscience for Energy Technology and Sustainability group commented, “Having evaluated several CNT tools, we found that the Aixtron Black Magic system was the best overall in terms of uniformity and process control for wafer-scale growth of single wall carbon nanotubes. The system interface is user friendly and the reactor uses growth technology that has been proven in many labs as well as industry. We are extremely pleased with the system and it has consistently produced high quality, vertically aligned single wall carbon nanotubes which is exactly what we require. We are integrating these nanotubes into novel devices on a wafer-scale."

Revenues for the quarter grew an impressive 234 percent compared to the same quarter of 2009. Net income increased 440 percent over the quarter a year ago. And the EBIT margin nearly doubled from 16 percent to 30 percent.

May 5, 2010...IXYS of Fort Collins, Colorado USA, a power electronics company introduced its PCX-9000 Series high power diode laser drivers. The series consists of five distinct instruments and features an intuitive new user interface designed to make it easy to operate. The PCX-9000 Series can provide up to 600A of pulsed current. The company say it is designed to drive the highest power diode lasers, bars and arrays. The device is air cooled and available in 200A, 400A and 600A configurations with an internal power supply option available for both the 200A and 400A units. The PCX-9000 Series is a power MOSFET based pulsed driver.

The device is reportedly ideal for high power, high duty cycle, pulsed applications such as: high power laser and diode test and characterization as well as scientific, industrial and other high power applications. The PCX-9000 Series features less than 100nS rise times, frequencies up to 100 KHz (25 KHz using the internal trigger), 200nS minimum pulse width, and up to 3700 watts of power. In addition, the system provides for a bias or 'simmer' current of up to 60A which can be independently triggered. Output current is continuously monitored and controlled to ensure delivery of set point current to the diode(s). The system also provides open load protection with an automatic shut down.

Strategy Analytics Predicts GaN Use to Grow in RF and Power Management Applications Over Several Years
CompoundSemi News Staff

April 28, 2010...Market analysis company, Strategy Analytics (SA) predicts that deployments in electronic warfare, next-generation radar and covert communications will represent nearly 50% of the $376M market for GaN microelectronic components in 2014. SA reports that adoption of GaN components in wireless infrastructure has been sluggish.

Asif Anwar, director of the Strategy Analytics GaAs and Compound Semiconductor Service, suggests that power management will be an important new market for GaN microelectronic components. Such devices include: SMPSs (switched-mode power supplies), DC-DC converters, and DC motor drives found in home appliances, electric vehicles, industrial automation systems, telecommunications equipment, and electric lawnmowers. “Much depends on the success of new entrants targeting applications in power management,” said Asif Anwar. “After the initial launch of these products in the opening quarter of 2010, we expect a number of major suppliers to enter the market over the next two years, prior to significant RF deployments in wireless infrastructure from 2012 onwards.”

The “GaN Microelectronics Market Update 2009-2014” report, details the increasing impact that GaN semiconductors will have on power management applications. The complementary report, “GaN Device and Material Vendor Summary,” reveals the strategies of companies supplying GaN-based products for military and commercial applications. Both reports are available for download now at http://tinyurl.com/sa00868.

Steve Entwistle, VP of the Strategy Analytics Strategic Technologies Practice, commented, “GaN has already cemented its place in the optoelectronics market, and is now emerging as a key enabling technology for the commercial microelectronics sector."

Our news features are reported by the CompoundSemi News staff writers.
For submissions or content suggestions, you can contact us using
editor -at - compoundsemi.com
For more information and to reserve promotion space contact
Info7 -at - compoundsemi.com
or call +1 (512) 257-9888