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TriQuint Wins US Air Force Contract to Design and Fabricate GaN Modules for New Drone Aircraft
CompoundSemi News Staff

May 24, 2010...TriQuint Semiconductor has been awarded a contract by the US Air Force Research Laboratories (AFRL) to develop new Gallium Nitride (GaN) modules for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). AFRL says that the new GaN devices will extend the range and capabilities of UAVs that are used for reconnaissance missions over Afghanistan, Iraq and other regions. The AFRL expects that the more efficient GaN devices will also reduce the need for thermal management and extend battery life in each vehicle.

TriQuint noted that it will develop and fabricate new modules including 20 Watt and 50 Watt devices in-house. The program will reportedly require fitting new 20 Watt amplifiers into the same space now occupied by the fleet's existing 1 Watt devices.

TriQuint Program Manager, Doug Cole commented, "The contract is particularly interesting since we need to increase the power of one device 20-fold without increasing the size. We're using our proven 0.25-micron Gallium Nitride process since it offers excellent power density and ruggedness--key requirements for avionic applications."

Phase I of the Air Force UAV program includes developing high-power GaN amplifier MMICs. During Phase II MMIC amplifiers and other components will be into single packages to provide 20 Watt and 50 Watt Ku-band power amplifiers. TriQuint plans to deliver the first amplifier MMIC by August 2010. The first 50 Watt prototype high power amplifier (HPA) will be delivered in April 2011.

May 24, 2010...The Oregon Department of Energy's state Energy Loan Program (SELP) will meet  at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 25 in Salem to review loan requests.  SELP makes long-term, fixed-rate loans to governments, tribes, schools, non-profit organizations, businesses, and individuals to finance Oregon projects that conserve energy or use renewable resources. The third loan request on the agenda is for $25 million from Solexant Corporation   to finance a thin-film solar plant in the Gresham or Wilsonville area with the capacity to produce 100 MW of thin-film solar cells annually.   The meeting, which open to the public, will be held at the Oregon Department of Energy, 625 Marion Street NE, in Salem. Bob Repine, Department of Energy Director, will make the final decision on the loan request after reviewing the committee’s advice.

Cree’s GaN HEMT MMIC Power Amplifiers Expand Company's GaN MMIC PA Frequency Range Through X-Band
CompoundSemi News Staff

May 24, 2010...Cree has developed five new GaN HEMT MMIC amplifiers that it says increase the company's range of available HEMT MMIC amplifiers to include frequencies through X-Band. As part of a sample release, Cree's GaN MMICs are currently available as bare die and are targeted to be available in packaged formats later this year.

“We are pleased to expand our existing GaN power amplifier MMIC line and introduce our first GaN LNA MMIC product. The introduction of these MMICs expands our leadership position in providing GaN solutions that improve system performance beyond what can be realized using traditional GaAs MMIC technology for applications such as communication systems, homeland defense, electronic warfare and radar from S-band through X-band,” said Jim Milligan, Cree, director of RF & Microwave Products.

Cree introduced the CMLA2540001D, a low noise amplifier (LNA) GaN HEMT MMIC, with a 1.7 dB Noise Figure and a frequency range of 2.5 to 4 GHz The company also released the CMPA2060025D wide band 25W, 2 to 6 GHz MMIC power amplifier. Cree introduced the exceptionally small CMPA2735075D high power MMIC amplifier that delivers 75W with PAE of 60%. The newly introduced CMPA5585025D provides more than 25 watts output power over the 5 to 8 GHz band and is ideal for applications in point-to-point radios, satcom, test instrumentation and EMC amplifiers. Cree's CMPA801B025D MMIC power amplifier covers the 8 to 11 GHz frequency range with a typical output power capability of 25 watts. 

Applied Materials to Enter MOCVD Market Soon to Supply LED Makers
LIGHTimes News Staff

May 18, 2010...Applied Materials is expected to enter MOCVD market as a new MOCVD equipment supplier as the company responds to soaring demand from consumers and OEMs for LED backlit TVs. Applied Materials may in fact be looking to produce an HPVE and MOCVD combined system. The company has produced HPVE systems for some time. However in the company's first government contract, in late January Applied was awarded $3.9 million from the DOE through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to reduce the costs of LED manufacturing by improving manufacturing equipment and processes. A portion of this money, some estimate $2.4 million, will go towards producing a more cost effective MOCVD system for producing LEDs.

C.J. Muse, an analyst with Barclays Capital, in a report and an EETimes article stated, "We believe, based on research on DOE’s LED related projects that AMAT may have gotten $2.4 million from the taxpayer in connection with development of an MOCVD solution over the next eight quarters through end of 2011, though we think that the final manufacturing is likely to be done in Singapore/ Taiwan.'' Muse added, ''On a larger scale, our checks suggest that Applied is working on a multichamber epi tool on the Centura platform, with one HVPE chamber and two MOCVD chambers, and with in-situ cleaning to speed up the cycle time,'' Muse said, ''It likely will use lamp heating for better temperature control for defining sharp interfaces and will be targeting a 2X improvement in uniformity, 50 percent reduction in cycle time, and a 50 percent improvement in quantum efficiency. The takeaway here is that the tool and the approach is still far from proven--but we will likely start to hear more on this front with the market focused on whether or not TSMC will actually place orders for the tool in the next 3-6 month timeframe,''

Eight Module Producers Tapped for ProLogis Rooftop Photovoltaic Test Site in Denver
CompoundSemi News Staff

May 19, 2010...The ProLogis real estate company has unveiled its new rooftop photovoltaic test site in Denver, Colorado. The site produces a total of 11 kWp from 99 solar photovoltaic modules. Eight different photovoltaic module manufacturers produced the modules. The manufacturers include: Ascent Solar, First Solar, GS-Solar, MiaSole, Solyndra, Suniva, United Solar Ovonic and Xunlight.

ProLogis reports that the site is already generating power and the initial configuration provides side-by-side comparisons of several module technologies, including monocrystalline silicon, glass-on-glass thin film, and membrane-applied thin film modules. In addition, the installation contains 16 individually monitored strings, each designed to test a certain system parameter.

In partnership with HatiCon Solar, ProLogis designed a new racking system for utility-scale rooftop solar installations. Matt Singleton, vice president of renewable energy at ProLogis, commented,  "As a real estate developer and owner, we seek the most compatible solution for our rooftop installations, both in terms of structural loads and roof integrity. This new attached rack design combines standardized, lightweight aluminum parts with the long-term assurance of a maintainable and warrantable watertight connection to our buildings."

The ProLogis Renewable Energy group was formed in 2009 to procure new business, manage installations, and provide development services for renewable energy projects globally. ProLogis has more than 450 million square feet (42 million square meters) of roof space worldwide available for solar photovoltaic installations.

Ascent Solar Starts Initial CIGS Production at FAB 2 Production Plant
CompoundSemi News Staff

May 17, 2010...Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc., reports that has successfully begun initial production of monolithically integrated flexible CIGS modules from its high volume FAB 2 production plant in Thornton, Colorado. Simultaneous with today’s announcement the company issued a video virtual tour of its FAB 2 production plant.

Farhad Moghadam President and CEO of Ascent Solar stated, “Ascent Solar is the first company to commence regular production of monolithically integrated lightweight thin-film CIGS modules using a plastic substrate. This milestone marks the initiation of our regular production capability and our factory ramp up based on market demand. Initial production from FAB 2 is producing 10.5% efficient modules with peak module aperture efficiency as high as 11.9%, which gives Ascent a very competitive product across our target market opportunities.”

3M and NREL to Research Moisture Barrier for Thin-Film Photovoltaics and Reflectors for Solar Concentrator and Solar Photovoltaic Plants
CompoundSemi News Staff

May 17, 2010...The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory and 3M, of St. Paul, Minnesota, have jointly undertaken research and development projects in three key areas of clean energy: thin-film photovoltaics, concentrating solar power, and biofuels. 3M and NREL will work to develop and test new moisture barrier films and flexible packaging for thin film solar cells made of semiconducting layers of copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS). NREL researchers previously reported that CIGS cells have achieved a record efficiency of 19.9 percent. However, commercial viability for the cells requires high efficiency, low cost, and extreme durability.

The solar cells are expected to work effectively for 20 years. Therefore, they will need to be encapsulated in a flexible material that is transparent to light, but also provides durable protection without adding significant costs. NREL Principal Investigator Mike Kempe will test 3M technologies designed to protect solar cells from moisture and other contaminants during their 20-year lifetimes. Kempe and other NREL researchers will conduct accelerated stress tests, including temperature, humidity and irradiance tests, to establish failure barriers on as many as three types of 3M CIGS designs. NREL and 3M will jointly interpret the results to help establish module standards for a 20-year lifetime.

The company will also be working with the NREL on developing and improving effectiveness, and robustness of mirror films for concentrated solar power and concentrated photovoltaics.

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