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March 31, 2010...The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) announced a series of cooperative research and development agreements (CRADAs) with 3M of St. Paul, Minnesota. The agreements between NREL and 3M establish joint investigations in three key areas of innovation: thin-film photovoltaics, concentrating solar power and biofuels.
3M will colllaborate with the NREL to develop new moisture barrier films and flexible packaging for increased performance of CIGS (copper indium gallium diselenide) thin film solar cells, and they will also work to
create new reflective coatings to protect and enhance the performance of lower-cost mirrors used in concentrating solar power.
3M and NREL have also agreed to find alternatives to ethanol biofuel distillation that will reduce energy and water use, and increase throughput in existing corn ethanol and future cellulosic ethanol production plants.
“CRADAs like these with 3M not only help shift the nation to clean energy, but they also establish and expand important partnerships for product development through technology transfer," NREL Senior Vice President of Commercialization and Deployment Casey Porto said.
"3M is excited for the opportunity to tap into NREL’s expertise and understanding of a variety of solar modules and the interplay between the materials and systems,” said Mike Roman, general manager and vice president of 3M Renewable Energy Division.
3M News Release
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Imec and Partners Start Work on Project to Leverage Nanostructures for Improved Solar Cell Efficiency
CompoundSemi News StaffMarch 31, 2010...Imec of Leuven, Belgium reports that it has begun working with its project partners on PRIMA, a project to improve the efficiency and cost of solar cells though the use of metallic nanostructures. PRIMA is a project under the EU’s 7th framework program for ICT (FP7).
The goals of the FP7 project PRIMA are to gain insight into the physical mechanisms of metallic nanostructures in order to improve the light absorption of the solar cell’s material, and to study how these structures can best be integrated into the production of solar cells.
Imec and its partners plan to test a number of structures and benchmark their performance against state-of-the-art solar cells. The performance and applicability of the cells will then be assessed by solar cell companies that are participating in the project.
Imec will reportedly act as the project coordinator with other PRIMA partners: Imperial College (London, UK), Chalmers University of Technology (Sweden), Photovoltech (Belgium), Quantasol (UK) and Australian National University (Australia).
Certain nanostructured metallic surfaces can absorb and intensify light at specific wavelengths. This is because the incoming light results in a collective oscillation of the electrons at the metal’s surface.
In this way, metallic nanostructures can boost the absorption of light in a solar cell's photoactive material. Materials with enhanced light absorption allow production of cells with less base material, making them thinner and cheaper.
Imec News Release
BC Systems Introduces GaN-based Military RF Power Amplifier
CompoundSemi News StaffMarch 30, 2010...BC Systems, of Setauket, New York USA, has introduced an RF power amplifier designed for defense applications requiring a compact device covering
a broadband frequency of 20 to 305 MHz and having RF output power of at least 100 W in Class AB operation.
The Model RF40015 reportedly combines gallium nitride (GaN) RF power transistors with the company’s design and fabrication techniques. According to the company, the device delivers high RF power density in a module measuring only 5.5 x 4.5 x 1.6 in and weighing less than 2 lb. BC Systems boasts that it has extremely fast blanking speed of less than 5 µs for excellent noise performance and low standby power consumption, as well as efficiency of at least 30%, and the ability to deliver its full RF power output into VSWR of 2.5:1.
The amplifier incorporates a custom DC-to-DC converter that BC Systems says is highly efficient, allowing the amplifier to operate from a 26 to 30 VDC power source. BC Systems says that the unit is fully protected for over-current and over-voltage conditions, and has an operating temperature range of -20o C to +85o C (-45o C to +95o C non-operating). It can be specified with an integrated low-power sampling port for RF output monitoring as well as a directional coupler.
BC Systems says it can customize the DA Module to meet various military standards and parameters such as operating frequency range, mounting configurations, and connector type.
Company News Release
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Purdue University Orders Aixtron Black Magic Tool
CompoundSemi News StaffMarch 30, 2010...Aixtron of Aachen, Germany reports that Purdue University has ordered the Aixtron Black Magic deposition system. The system will be used in the university's Birck Nanotechnology Center in West Lafayette, Indiana USA. The 187,000 sq. ft., Birck Nanotechnology Center opened in July 2005 at an estimated cost of $58 million. It includes a 25,000 sq. ft. Class 1-10-100 nanofabrication cleanroom – the Scifres Nanofabrication Laboratory.
According to Aixtron, the order is for a 2 inch wafer configuration system for the deposition of carbon nanomaterials and high-k oxides by atomic layer deposition (ALD). Aixtron says it received the order in the fourth quarter of 2009, and the system will be delivered in the second quarter of 2010.
Associate Professor Peide Ye of Purdue University, acknowledged the Army Research Office's support of this project through the US Department of Defense’s DURIP program. He commented, “The Black Magic CVD/PECVD platform is vital to our ongoing advanced CMOS device characterization research projects. This first-of-a-kind dual-configuration CVD system will allow us to not only to carry out CNT and graphene deposition but also to prepare high-k oxides by ALD in-situ. Having this unique capability at Birck means that we will be able to optimize carbon/oxide-based materials for the next-generation device channels. The advantage of preparing the oxide in-situ directly after channel growth is that it potentially eliminates contamination and trapped charge, leading to cleaner channel/oxide interfaces and better device performance.”
Aixtron News Release Bakersfield Refinery to be Converted to Chevron Solar Demonstration Facility
CompoundSemi News StaffMarch 24, 2010...Chevron announced the start of its Project Brightfield to demonstrate next-generation solar energy technologies in Bakersfield, California. The project will be constructed on the site of a Chevron oil refinery. Chevron says the project will help to evaluate seven emerging photovoltaic technologies and determine the potential application of renewable power at other company-owned facilities.
Chevron says that the site has been repurposed to test the performance of six emerging thin-film technologies and one emerging crystalline-silicon photovoltaic technology, which were provided by independent solar companies. Although similar tests have happened at independent laboratories run by universities or the government such as the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the test of many technologies from multiple independent companies is quite unique for a commercial company.
The site will have 7,700 solar panels on 8-acre to generate approximately 740 kW of electricity for the local utility grid as well as to Chevron's oil production operations at the Kern River Field.
The companies demonstrating thin-film technologies are Abound Solar of Colorado, MiaSole of Silicon Vally, Schuco of Germany, Solar Frontier (a subsidiary of Japan's Showa Shell Solar), Sharp Corp of Japan, and Solibro a division of solar module maker Q-Cells. Innovalight will provide the crystalline-silicon photovoltaic technology. Each solar company can access data about its technology, find out how well it performs in various conditions and compare it against a benchmark solar technology that is a brand of commercially available solar photovoltaic technology installed on the site.
Chevron News Release Aixtron Gets Order from Tekcore for Multiple Aixtron G5 HT Systems for Production of High Brightness LEDs
CompoundSemi News StaffMarch 24, 2010...Aixtron reports that Tekcore, an LED maker in Taiwan has ordered the Aixtron G5 HT MOCVD system to expand it manufacturing capacity of high brightness LEDs.
Aixtron noted that the order was received, shortly after it announced the launch of its next generation MOCVD systems AIX G5 HT and CRIUS II. Aixtron says it is very pleased with the success of these new systems; the company already received multiple purchase orders for tools of both technologies.
The AIX G5 HT is reportedly based on Aixtron's proven Planetary Reactor design. Aixtron boasts that it features the largest wafer capacity available (56x2/14x4/8x6inch) in combination with revolutionary new reactor design which the company claims offers the highest productivity and layer quality by allowing very high growth rates at high process pressures. Aixtron points out that the G5 HT can be run with fully automated operation, and it can be integrated with advanced fabrication.
Dr. Rainer Beccard, Vice President Marketing at AIXTRON explained, “AIXTRON is committed to demonstrate its technological leadership. With the introduction of our new innovative technologies in our Next Generation Platform, the AIX G5 HT, we provide a revolutionary new reactor design to our customers that enables more than the doubling of productivity compared to the previous MOCVD generation."
Aixtron News Release Ascent Solar Signs Agreement With Indian Conglomerate Kirloskar
CompoundSemi News StaffMarch 23, 2010...Ascent Solar Technologies Inc., of Thornton, Colorado USA, reported that it has signed a Strategic Alliance Agreement with Kirloskar Integrated Technologies Limited, India (Kirloskar). The multi-phase agreement calls for the two companies to commence integration, marketing, and distribution of Ascent Solar's flexible CIGS photovoltaic modules for use in products that will address market opportunities in India such as: defense, consumer portable power, off grid rural power solutions, hybrid solar, and diesel generation back up power systems. Phase two of the agreement is to establish a complete back-end module assembly plant in India. The third and final phase of the contact is to expand production in India to include complete end-to-end module manufacturing. Ascent Solar points out that this agreement results from the collaboration achieved thus far under a memorandum of understanding signed in September of 2009 between the two companies.
Mr. L.A. Joshi, CEO of Kirloskar, said, "Kirloskars's vision is to provide decentralized sustainable solutions based on renewable resources. Having successfully established energy solutions using technologies like anaerobic digestion of organic waste and non-edible vegetable oil and biodiesel, we were in search of appropriate partner for solar photovoltaics which can compliment Kirloskar's strength as a leader in distributed power generation. We are pleased to have Ascent as our partner in the endeavor to harness the very large solar energy potential related to off-grid and on-grid applications, by taking advantage of the favorable policies of the Indian government. "
Ascent Solar News Release TriQuint Begins Producing First 40 & 100 Gb/s SMT Amplifiers for Major Telecom Manufacturers
CompoundSemi News StaffMarch 23, 2010...TriQuint Semiconductor announced that it has begun high-volume production for major optical network manufacturers of new driver amplifiers, including the market's first surface-mount technology (SMT) 40 and 100 Gb/s (gigabits per second) devices. TriQuint boasts that its products ease assembly and significantly reduce power consumption for 'greener' wideband high-speed optical networks.
TriQuint contends that the TGA4943-SL driver is industry's first 40 and 100 Gb/s surface mount driver that is 'green' since it operates using half the power of other devices, just 1.7 Watts. The TGA4943-SL is also available in an adaptive module for compatibility with legacy systems.
TriQuint's other new device, the TGA4826-SM, was selected as a key component of the fiber system that powers Europe's first 100 Gb/s link, which entered service in late 2009. TriQuint says that the TGA4826-SM driver is ideally suited for optical network applications that need high drive combined with high linearity. The TGA4826-SM wideband amplifier offers very low power consumption (dissipation) and is available in a standard 6x6mm package.
TriQuint reports that it is also ramping its new smaller, low-power driver amplifier, TGA4956-SM to offer enhanced performance for 10 Gb/s optical communications systems--a significant portion of today's deployed fiber networks.
Brian P. Balut, TriQuint Vice President commented, "Our drivers set standards, simplify RF connectivity and break new ground. We're pleased to be supplying SMT amplifiers for the first commercial 100G European system."
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