JDSU Completes Acquisition of GenComm
CompoundSemi News StaffAugust 27, 2012...JDSU, a provider of optoelectronic products and test and measurement solutions, announced the completed acquisition of GenComm, a provider of wireless test and measurement solutions based in Seoul, South Korea. JDSU announced its intent to acquire GenComm on August 14, 2012. GenComm products were previously distributed by JDSU under an OEM relationship.
According to JDSU, GennComm products are used by tier one service providers, wireless network manufacturers and contractors. JDSU contends GennComm products help to quickly enhance wireless services for wireless network providers to create new revenue streams and improve wireless service.
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August 27, 2012...Princeton Optronics Inc. announced the availability of 808nm high power illuminator model (PR-HPIL-800-W808). The illuminator comprised of multiple Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL) arrays with power output of 800W. Such illumination is required for high speed photography.
The increased frame rate (or reduction of frame time) means that the number of available photons per pixel per frame is proportionally reduced. Therefore, a very high level of illumination is required to image certain fast events such as speeding bullets or blast fragments through the air. VCSEL arrays are reportedly preferred illumination devices for such applications because of their low speckle and flattop beam profile.
In the (PR-HPIL-800-W808), four VCSEL array chips are mounted in the module and connected in series so that they deliver a power level of 800W from the module. The company says it also produces the power supply which is triggered by the camera for some applications. A diffuser is optionally attached to the VCSEL arrays to increase the beam divergence, if needed.
The company reportedly also offers illumination modules of various power levels starting from several watts to 800Watts for CW, QCW or pulsed illumination. In addition to 808nm, we offer illumination modules at other wavelengths such as 830nm, 976nm, 1064nm and at 680nm (red).
OSU Engineers Develop Microwave Heating Method to Speed Up and Reduce Cost of Producing Solar Cells
CompoundSemi News StaffAugust 27, 2012...Microwave oven technology has applications beyond heating leftovers, according to engineers at Oregon State University. This same type of technology can provide a new way to produce copper zinc tin sulfide thin-film photovoltaic products while consuming less energy, costing less, and being more environmentally friendly than some solar energy alternatives. The findings were published in the journal, Physica Status Solidi A.
“All of the elements used in this new compound are benign and inexpensive, and should have good solar cell performance,” said Greg Herman, an associate professor in the School of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering at OSU.
The engineers previously investigated the use of ink composed of nano particles that could be rolled or sprayed like conventional ink-jet printing to produce solar cells. The OSU Engineers have now succeeded in using microwave heating, instead of conventional heating, to reduce reaction times to minutes or seconds, and allow for better control over the production process.
“With some improvements in its solar efficiency this new compound should become very commercially attractive,” he said.
“This approach should save money, work well and be easier to scale up at commercial levels, compared to traditional synthetic methods,” Herman said. “Microwave technology offers more precise control over heat and energy to achieve the desired reactions.”
Funding and support for this research was provided by Sharp Laboratories of America, the Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnologies Institute, and the Oregon Process Innovation Center for Sustainable Solar Cell Manufacturing, an Oregon BEST signature research facility. US DOE Releases 2013 SBIR and STTR Funding Opportunities Which Include Solicitation for GaN Epitaxial Studies
LIGHTimes News StaffAugust 23, 2012...The US Department of Energy (DOE) has sponsored another round of Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) funding opportunities. Among the funding opportunities is Topic 11, Wide Bandgap Semiconductors for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Accepted project proposals covering this area are awarded $150,000 for Phase 1 of the projects and $1 million for Phase II. The deadline for the short letter-of-intent submission is September 4. If a full application is invited, it is due October 16.
The subtopics of the funding opportunity include: Bulk GaN Substrates and Novel Architectures, Advances in Epitaxial Growth, and Device Redesign and Passive Components.
In the first of the subtopics, the DOE is seeking proposals for projects that are scalable, and cost effective to eventually produce 150-200 mm diameter GaN wafers (for GaN-on-GaN devices) with dislocation defect density below 104/cm2 at costs no more than 2-3X those of Si. Content continues for LIGHTimes SecondPage members... MIT Researchers Develop More Precise Method of Producing Defect-free Patterns in Nanocrystal Films
CompoundSemi News StaffAugust 20, 2012...Researchers at MIT have reported a new method of producing defect free patterns of nanocystals in thin films that is more precise than conventional methods. The work builds on research by Moungi Bawendi, the Lester Wolfe Professor of Chemistry at MIT and a co-author of the paper in Nanoletters about the development.
Additionally, the researchers say that materials can be patterned and sized to glow or fluoresce in a range of different colors based on their sizes even though they are made of the same material. This reportedly allows the material to be studied under an optical microscope (despite being below its resolution limit) as opposed to the time consuming and costly process of using an electron microscope.
The researchers note that defect free patterns enable more precise study of the crystals. The researchers also claim that the electrical conductivity of defect-free films is roughly 180 times greater than that of the cracked films made by conventional methods.
Mentzel says, “The trick was to get the film to be uniform, and to stick” to the silicon dioxide substrate, Kastner adds. That was achieved by leaving a thin layer of polymer to coat the surface before depositing the layer of nanocrystals on top of it. The researchers speculate that tiny organic molecules on the surface of the nanocrystals help them bind to the polymer layer.
The technique has has already reportedly enabled new research about electron movement in the films. Such materials could one day be used for biological detectors, screening systems, and medical device testing. First Solar Establishes Thai Operating Subsidiary, Opens Bangkok Office
CompoundSemi News StaffAugust 20, 2012...First Solar, Inc., a maker of cadmium telluride thin-film solar cells based in Tempe, Arizona USA, announced that it has established a Thailand operating subsidiary, First Solar (Thailand) Ltd., and opened an office in Bangkok. First Solar reportedly entered the Thai PV market in 2011, and since that time more than 12 megawatts (MW) of solar PV projects have already been installed or are under construction using First Solar’s advanced thin‐film module technology.According to First Solar, Thailand is expected to remain an important solar market in Southeast Asia due to its strong economic growth, significant energy demand and abundant solar resource.
The company says that the creation of the local subsidiary will better enable the company to expand the market for utility‐scale solar photovoltaic (PV) power plants in the local market, and to deliver value to Thai solar power producers. “The long‐term energy fundamentals in Thailand are very favorable for a solar power solution to meet their growing energy needs, and we will continue to invest here as part of our strategy to develop sustainable, utilityscale solar markets,” said Won Park, Senior Manager, Business Development. Jilin University Orders Aixtron Reactor for GaN UV and White LED Research
LIGHTimes News StaffAugust 16, 2012...Aixtron SE today announced that existing customer, Jilin University China ordered a new MOCVD system. Aixtron indicated that the university ordered one CCS reactor in a 3x2-inch wafer configuration, which will be dedicated to the growth of gallium nitride materials for UV and white LEDs.
One of Aixtron’s local support teams has installed and commissioned the new reactor in a clean-room facility at Jilin University in Changchun, China. Jilin University is a leading national university under the direct jurisdiction of China's Ministry of Education is located in Changchun, the capital city of Jilin Province in Northeast China. The university is made up of eight campuses across five districts, which are home to thirty-nine colleges covering twelve academic disciplines. The University boasts sixteen disciplinary areas, six state key laboratories, and eight national bases for the development of basic science. Other resources include seven key laboratories sponsored by the Ministry of Education and eleven by other ministries of the Chinese government.
Dr. Zhang of the Jilin University, State Key Laboratory on Integrated Optoelectronics, commented, “We already have experience and a very good understanding of Aixtron systems, and we were particularly impressed with the reactor’s ergonomics and security. The system has set the standard amongst the world's best laboratories, thus we intend to join those ranks. Our intention is to develop exciting new material structures that will lead to greater understanding and to production of gallium nitride materials for UV and white LEDs. This is a challenging task, but we are confident that the combination of the process technology capabilities of the CCS reactor and strong backing from the local Aixtron support team will enable us to achieve our aims quickly and efficiently.” Our news features are reported
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