MiaSole Commercial Scale Thin-Film Solar Modules Reach 13.8 Percent Efficiency
CompoundSemi News StaffJune 14, 2010...Miasole reports that that the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) independently confirmed the 13.8 percent efficiency of its copper indium gallium diselenide large area production modules (one square meter in size). The modules are designed for utilities and independent power producers in industrial scale deployments such as large-scale rooftop and ground mount installations. Miasole asserts that the new high efficiency will allow it to offer solar modules with the efficiency of polysilicon and the lower manufacturing costs of thin-film modules.
The company utilizes a unique manufacturing process which lays CIGS on a flexible stainless steel substrate in a continuous sputtering process. In fact, MiaSole boasts that it is the only thin-film solar company that uses sputtering every step of the way for coating the solar modules, thereby reducing manufacturing time and costs of production.
Dr. Joseph Laia, CEO of MiaSole stated, "The modules that we ship in 2011 will have efficiencies greater than 13%. The only reason that we are not shipping these modules today is that we are awaiting the completion of our UL certifications."
Dr. Ryne Raffaelle, Director of the National Center for Photovoltaics at NREL said, "This demonstration is a tremendous step forward in closing the gap between the potential of CIGS results, and what actually can be achieved in a large area production module."
The company says it will ship 6.5MW in the first half of this year, and it expects to ship a total of 22MW in 2010. June 14, 2010...First Solar, Inc. announced plans to expand its German manufacturing plant in Frankfurt an der Oder. The plan will reportedly double the company's local production capacity and add several hundred new jobs to the more than 600
it already employs in Frankfurt (Oder) manufacturing its thin-film solar modules. First Solar says it is in advanced talks with the German regional and federal authorities to obtain the necessary permits and financial framework for the expansion. The highest value of the US dollars compared to the Euro in the past several years combined with German government incentives, apparently made the company's production expansion in Germany a very attractive option.
The company says that the expansion will double the annual capacity of the Frankfurt (Oder) manufacturing plant from 223 MW today to around 446 megawatts (MW) by the fourth quarter of 2011. It also will help increase its natural income hedge against euro/dollar exchange rate risk by producing more in Germany for European customers.
The company has three additional factories in different phases of construction in France and Malaysia. When all the factories are on line, the total capacity of the company will rise from its current level of 1.3 MW to an estimated 2.1 MW annually.
Minister President Matthias Platzeck commented, “This will create sustainable jobs. At the same time, the expansion of production capacity of solar modules will foster our top position in renewable energy and will help the state to achieve its ambitious energy and climate goals.”
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Philips Lumileds Donates Aixtron MOCVD System to Support Material Science Research at UC Santa Cruz
LIGHTimes News StaffJune 11, 2010...Philips Lumileds has donated a $4.5 million MOCVD system to the Baskin School of Engineering at UC Santa Cruz.
The system was originally purchased by Lumileds to develop compound semiconductor materials for LEDs. Most notably, it was used in the development of Luxeon LEDs as a replacement for incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs
This major equipment donation provides important new capacities for materials science research at UCSC. The equipment will be installed in the laboratory of Nobuhiko Kobayashi, associate professor of electrical engineering, for use in his research on new materials for solid-state energy conversion devices and other applications.
The donation is Aixtron's AIX 200RF MOCVD system designed for the production of group III-V compound semiconductors with highly uniform layered structures. Aixtron boasts that the system's laminar flow design eliminates turbulence and allows precise control of the chemical compositions of semiconductor thin films to help ensuring sharp interfaces between layers. Content continues for LIGHTimes SecondPage members... Spire Corporation Wins Contract to Develop Multi-Junction Solar Cells for Space Applications
CompoundSemi News StaffJune 7, 2010...Spire Corporation, a maker of turnkey photovoltaic cell and module production lines, reports that its wholly owned subsidary, Spire Semiconductor has been awarded a contract from the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) to develop high efficiency, multi-junction solar cells for space applications. Such cells are similar to the ones that the company is developing for the terrestrial solar concentrator market.
Ed Gagnon, General Manager of Spire Semiconductor, LLC, stated, "This award is timely since it supports our ongoing terrestrial solar cell business. Currently, we are developing a 42% efficient, 500 sun concentrator cell under a U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory contract. The MDA contract will help to further establish our capabilities and expertise in concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) cell technology for both space and terrestrial solar cell applications."
Roger G. Little, Chairman and CEO of Spire Corporation, added, "We have already generated significant customer interest, and we plan to work closely with the MDA and customers to develop devices that optimally address strategic interests and market needs." Solexant Gets $41.5M in Series C Funding Round
CompoundSemi News StaffJune 7, 2010...Solexant Corp. of San Jose, California USA, a developer of cadmium telluride thin-film photovoltaic technology reports that it has received $41.5 million at the first close of a Series C financing round. The round follows the company's successful completion of a 2MW pilot production line operating at the company's headquarters.
The funding round was led by Olympus Capital Partners and includes two other new investors, DBL Investors and Birchmere Ventures, with strong support from existing investors Trident Capital, Firelake Capital, Medley Partners and X/Seed.
The company utilizes a roll-to-role manufacturing technology that may eventually be optimized to produce the company's ultra-thin-film solar cells at a rate as low as $.50 per watt, according to some estimates. This would be nearly half of the cost per what of it nearest competitor, First Solar.
Rami Elkhatib, general partner of Olympus Capital Partners and new Solexant board member commented, "With its unique thin film technology and cost-efficient production process, we're confident Solexant will be a leader in the solar industry."
The company's nanocrystal technology was first developed at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (LBNL) by Dr. Paul Alivisatos and his team. The printable nanocrystal technology platform can produce flexible thin films using a variety of materials through a fast and simple deposition process. Solexant's first commercial products will be based on printed CdTe nanocrystals. The company also plans to commercialize solar cells based on other higher efficiency printed nanocrystal materials over the next few years.
Fujitsu Develops Ultra-Low-Noise Transistor for Millimeter-Band Receivers
CompoundSemi News StaffJune 7, 2010...Fujitsu of Tokyo announced the development of an indium phosphide high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) operating at 94 GHz that the company says reduces the noise level by 30 percent compared to previous technologies. The transistor uses the company's proprietary "space cavity" structure to produce noise levels of merely 0.7 decibels. The company predicts that the novel noise-lowering technology will enable sensitivity enhancements in millimeter-band receivers.
According to Fujitsu, such receivers could extend the range of high-capacity wireless transmission distance by 20 percent. The would put it on par with optical transmission over fiber-optic cabling. Fujitsu points out that such technology could help bring wireless networks where fiber-optic cabling cannot go.
Additionally the company says that the transistor's use in image sensors which are being developed for anti-terrorist initiatives at major airports could reduce the time it takes to capture images by more than half.
Part of this research was conducted under contract as part of the Research and Development Project for Expansion of Radio Spectrum Resources of Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. Details of this technology was presented at the 22nd International Conference on Indium Phosphide and Related Materials (IPRM 2010), held May 31 - June 4 in the city of Takamatsu. Our news features are reported
by the CompoundSemi News staff writers.
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