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Welcome to the Concentrated Photovoltaics & High Efficiency Solar channel!

CompoundSemi Online serves the information needs of the compound semiconductor industry and its supply chain with product and market news updates for this rapidly evolving technology. Our "all the news on one page" format, with select channels for specific interests, offer the most efficient news delivery approach in the industry.

If you're looking for LED or Solid State Lighting News...

You're darn right they're part of the compounds, but we're also proud to say that the LED segment has "graduated" and can benefit from publications that are more dedicated to those topics. For news on the broad LED industry, outside of general lighting, along with the materials and technology supply chain, visit LIGHTimes Online. For a higher level view of LEDs in general lighting, you can visit Solid State Lighting Design, which covers packaged "lighting quality" LEDs through subsystems, luminaires and application stories.

BluGlass Investigates InGaN Solar Cells; Signs Sales and Marketing Agreement with BLK of Korea
CompoundSemi News Staff

May 11, 2009...BluGlass revealed that BLK of Korea has signed an exclusive sales and marketing agreement for the company's RPCVD technology for the next two years. Under the terms of the agreement, BLK will acquire a BLG-150 deposition tool to produce LEDs and establish its RPCVD plant in Gwanju Technology Park. BluGlass News Release.

BluGlass also reports that it is expanding its research into its Remote Plasma Chemical Vapor Deposition (RPCVD) for the production of indium gallium nitride (InGaN) solar cells. BluGlass points out that solar cells made from InGaN can potentially convert almost the entire spectrum of sunlight including infrared, visible, and ultraviolet radiation. The company says that furthermore, the InGaN cells have the potential to be the most efficient solar cells ever produced, to last a long time, and to be relatively inexpensive. BluGlass cites the material's wide bandgap tunability as the reason the material has the theoretical potential of reaching 50 percent efficiency. "While solar applications are a natural progression for BluGlass, RPCVD technology is well suited to these alternative applications, our LED business still remains our primary business, and we look forward to updating you on progress soon," said company CEO Giles Bourne. BluGlass News Release

Sunovia Adds Infrared Division
CompoundSemi News Staff

March 12, 2008...Sunovia Energy Technologies, Inc. of Sarasota, Florida USA, reports that it has established a new infrared materials and systems integration division for advanced cadmium telluride (CdTe) and mercury cadmium telluride (HgCdTe) infrared imaging and sensor products. The new infrared materials division adds to the company’s LED division and LED fixture division. The company capitalizes on the common materials used in both solar cells and in its infrared technologies, highly efficient cadmium telluride (CdTe) and mercury cadmium telluride (HgCdTe). Sunovia says that it is working with top scientists and experts in the manufacturing processes for these materials in an effort to accelerate the deployment of infrared technologies and advance their next-generation solar cell program simultaneously.

Sunovia said it will first deliver CdTe on silicon for use in infrared sensors for military and commercial markets. The company said it will simultaneously develop CdTe-based solar cells for space and military markets. As manufacturing costs go down (as a result of the company research, then, Sunovia plans to target the commercial, utility and residential markets. Additionally, the company's solid-state lighting division has developed a proprietary product line called EvoLucia, a high-efficiency light emitting diode (LED) light engine and fixture line that boasts of 20 percent lower energy consumption than standard incandescent lights. The company says it will be able to produce an LED with as much efficiency as GaN, but at a lower price. Company News Release

Intematix Hires Materials Expert to Help Broaden Range of Products
CompoundSemi News Staff

June 21, 2007...LED phosphor expert, Intematix, has named Chis Bajorek, a veteran materials expert, to be vice president of advanced development. In a move into new fields the company has hired Christopher Bajorek, Ph.D., to develop new materials for markets including solar, fuel cell, and battery technologies. Bajorek brings experience from his executive roles at IBM’s storage systems division, and he brings expertise from his work in product development with thin film disk innovator, Komag. Intematix says that he will help round out the company’s newly expanded leadership team.

“Chris has a tremendous record of leading a development team by applying a focused innovation and disciplined approach,” said Larsson. “His many accomplishments and unique understanding of myriad materials technologies will inject significant energy into our materials development initiatives for new clean-technology applications. We’re delighted to tap him for this key new role at Intematix and we welcome him on board.” Company News Release

Rensselaer Researchers Create Anti-Reflective Material for More Efficient Solar Cells or LEDs
LIGHTimes Staff

March 1, 2007...A report, which will appear in the March issue of Nature Photonics, explains how researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have created a special material that reflects virtually no light. The research could lead to brighter LEDs, more efficient solar cells, and a new class of “smart” light sources that adjust to the environment. The material the researchers created is an order of magnitude less reflective than what was previously the least reflective material. In fact the researchers say that it has almost the same refractive index as air. The refractive index is a fundamental optical property of a material. It governs the amount of light a material reflects, as well as other optical properties such as diffraction, refraction, and the speed of light inside the material. The material they created has refractive index of 1.05. As a comparison, window glass reportedly has a refractive index of 1.45. LIGHTimes SecondPage members login for more. Guests can view membership details.

Arima Seeks Partner for LED Capacity Increase; Plans GaAs Solar Cell Production in 2007
LIGHTimes Staff

April 14, 2006...Arima Opto is looking for a strategic partner for its LED capacity increase, according to Digitimes. The company's president, P.J. Wang, said Arima Opto is in talks with a second-tier LED maker for a possible strategic alliance. In February 2006, Arima Opto acquired the majority stake in Advanced Epitaxy Technology (AET). Wang said to Digitimes that the company expects to expand its monthly production (aluminum gallium arsenide) LED chips to 600 million and its blue LED chips to 300 million by the end of the second quarter. Wang added, that by the end of the year, LED production capacity will further increase by 60%. LIGHTimes SecondPage members login for more. Guests can view membership details.

TIR Systems Announces Restructuring for Further LEXEL Commercialization

April 14, 2006...TIR said the restructuring will result in the elimination of 42 jobs and will save them about $5 million annually. The company stated it already has entered into agreements with four major lighting manufacturers: The Genlyte Group, Zumtobel AG, Lighting Services Incorporated, and Spectral GmbH. To support their plans to introduce Lexel-based luminaries this year. TIR indicated it is also in discussions with several key lighting manufacturers, and expects more to follow as they expand the consortium of companies that support the LEXEL technology. LIGHTimes SecondPage members login for more. Guests can view membership details.

PSC to Expand Into LEDs and Solar Cells
LIGHTimes Staff

October 21, 2005...Taiwan company, Powerchip Semiconductor Corporation (PSC), currently a manufacturer of DRAM, hopes to eventually expand its manufacturing to include solar cells and LEDs, Asian technology news outlet, Digitimes reported. Company chairman Frank Huang, announced the company’s plans during the electronic Manufacturer Expo (eMEX) held in Suzhou, China. He indicated that PSC will develop partnerships with upstream material suppliers from Europe and the US, and the company is in negotiation phase of fab construction. Additionally PCS plans to partner with Japan-based Mitsubishi Cable Industries (MCI) for LED related high-end LED technology development . The company also plans to acquire high-luminance ultra violet white LED patents, Huang noted.

GE Global Research Creates "Ideal" Nanotube Diode
CompoundSemi News Staff

August 22, 2005...GE Global Research, the centralized research organization of the General Electric Company, has further developed the nanotube diode device into what it calls an “ideal” carbon nanotube diode, according to the August 15 issue of Applied Physics Letters. What makes the GE scientists call it an “ideal” diode is that they say it operates at the “theoretical limit,” or best possible performance. GE says that this new device will enable smaller and faster and more efficient electronic devices than are currently manufactured. The technology could be used in an enormous array of applications, especially for use in solar energy. LIGHTimes SecondPage members can access details... LIGHTimes SecondPage members login for more. Guests can view membership details.

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