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Editorial: Aixtron's Doing It Right
... MOCVD reactors are the backbone of today's compound semi industry. Everyone in the CS industry knows that, and Aixtron, one of our industry's two primary MOCVD suppliers (the other being Veeco) lives by it. Aixtron continues to put to work over 20 years of experience weathering the inevitable international...
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JDSU Acquires Circadiant
CompoundSemi News StaffNovember 19, 2008...JDSU, a test and measurement solution provider based in Milpitas, California USA, has acquired Circadiant, another test and measurement solution provider. With the acquisition, JDSU will have access to Circadiant's Hydra platform, a 10 GigE Long Reach Multimode (LRM) and 10 GigE SFP+ test systems, and Circadiant's OST platform for testing optical components, modules, and systems using real-world conditions. Additionally, JDSU gains Circadiant's close customer relationships with leading network equipment manufacturers, optical module vendors, and semiconductor companies. Terms of the acquisition were not released.
Circadiant says that JDSU will broaden the availability of its industry-leading SFP+, 10GigE and other stressed signal test solutions. The SFP+ transceiver is an emerging standard specified by a multi-source agreement (MSA) between manufacturers. JDSU says it allows greater port density (the number of transceivers per inch along the edge of a mother board) than other transceiver configurations. JDSU contends that SFP+ is becoming the 10 GigE optical interface of choice because it enables lower cost and even higher port density network interface cards.
“To capitalize on the economic benefits of developing SFP+ modules, equipment manufacturers require test solutions that evolve accordingly,” said Bill Mortimer, vice president and general manager in JDSU’s Communications Test and Measurement business segment. “Circadiant has technology and products that not only meet this challenge but complement the JDSU optical transport test portfolio and offer important test capabilities our customers are asking for.”
JDSU News Release Carlisle Energy Services and Solyndra, Inc. to Deliver Photovoltaic Systems for Commercial Cool Roofs
CompoundSemi News StaffNovember 19, 2008...Solyndra, Inc., a maker of proprietary photovoltaic systems for commercial rooftops, has signed a long-term sales contract worth up to $320 million with Carlisle Energy Services. Carlisle Energy Services is a newly formed division of Carlisle Construction Materials, a maker of single-ply energy efficient roofing materials. Solyndra points out that the multi-year sales contract adds to its previously announced order backlog.
Solyndra will construct the solar panels for these contracts at its facilities in Fremont and Milpitas, California. Carlisle Construction Materials produces its insulated cool roofs out of highly reflective and emissive materials, which lower daytime air conditioning electricity usage by reflecting away sunlight and heat. Solyndra says its PV system benefits from installation on a cool roof because of the reflected, direct, and diffuse light.
According to John Altmeyer, CEO of Carlisle Construction Materials, "The Solyndra PV system is a natural fit for our ENERGY STAR-certified, cool roof systems. When installed on Carlisle's white reflective TPO roofing membrane, the output of Solyndra PV system increases up to 20%. Further, the installation of a Solyndra system is exceptionally quick and economical, and can be easily accomplished by a roofing contractor along with the installation of an insulated cool roof. "
Carlisle is in the process of installing a commercial-scale Solyndra PV system on its TPO manufacturing facility in Tooele, UT.
Solyndra News Release KLA-Tencor To Reduce Workforce
CompoundSemi News StaffNovember 19, 2008...KLA-Tencor Corporation, a supplier of process control and yield management solutions for the semiconductor and related nanoelectronics industries based in Milpitas, California USA, announced that the company plans to reduce its global workforce by approximately 15 percent by June 30, 2009, in response to market conditions. The company says that the reduction is one of many cost-reduction actions it is taking to lower the its quarterly operating expenses to about $165-170 million by the end of fiscal year 2009. KLA-Tencor currently estimates that as part of the with the workforce reduction, it will incur an initial charge in the range of approximately $15 million to $20 million, mostly related to estimated severance costs. Also the company anticipates incurring additional restructuring charges, severance costs and other related expenses in connection with the workforce reduction at least through the remainder of fiscal year 2009. However, the company says it is unable to estimate the total of the related costs.
“Our employees are the heart of our organization, so it is with considerable reluctance that we are proceeding with this necessary reduction,” said Rick Wallace, chief executive officer of KLA-Tencor. “We will continue to monitor the demand environment and make the necessary adjustments to weather this downturn, help optimize our profitability, maintain our strategic focus and strengthen our competitive position.” Company News Release Sunovia and EPIR Improve Growth of Single-Crystal Cadmium Telluride on Silicon
CompoundSemi News StaffNovember 19, 2008...Sunovia of Sarasota, Florida and EPIR of Bolingbrook, Illinois USA, announced substantial improvements in their process of growing high-quality single-crystal cadmium telluride on silicon. Sunovia contends that the achievement is the foundational precursor for creating ultra-high-efficiency multi-junction solar cells at lower costs than current multi-junction photovoltaic (PV) approaches. The companies boast that the process improvements involve increasing single-crystal growth rates by over 500 percent. According to Sunovia this allows for lower processing times per wafer and more PV cells per deposition chamber per day. The companies also believe this breakthrough will accelerate their demonstration of an initial 20MW manufacturing system for ultra high efficiency, low cost solar cells. Additionally, the companies contend that the manufacturing system can be duplicated for much less than the typical cost for solar cell manufacturing systems today.
Sunovia and EPIR reported that deposition uniformity was greatly improved with crystal quality distributions reduced closer to the 55 arcsecond X-Ray rocking curve width previously reported.
Sunovia and EPIR’s CdTe-on-Si technology is currently being funded and developed to produce high-sensitivity, long-wavelength infrared (IR) imaging technology with much larger formats and substantially lower costs than currently employed technologies. Sunovia News Release
NIST Scientists Devise Method for Nanoscale Etching and Imaging with Ion Beams
CompoundSemi News StaffNovember 18, 2008...Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) reportedly developed a new method of focusing a stream of ions into a point as small as one nanometer (one billionth of a meter). The approach that they have devised is very versatile and can be used with a wide range of ions tailored to a particular function. In nanotechnology, it is expected to carve smaller features on semiconductors than now are possible. Additionally, it can also produce images of nanoscale structures with finer resolution than currently possible with electron microscopes.
The NIST researchers point out that the current technology for both applications is problematic because the high energies needed to focus gallium for milling tasks end up burying small amounts in the sample and contaminating the material. Additionally, when gallium ions are used to collect images they inadvertently damage the sample because they are relatively heavy. With a different approach, the NIST team created a focused ion beam that generates a small cloud instead of a sharp metal point. They use a combination of magnetic fields and laser light to trap and cool the atoms to very low temperatature. Then another laser ionizes the atoms and focuses them into a small beam of ions. The NIST researchers have called the device Magneto-Optical Trap Ion Source (MOTIS). The initial tests used chromium atoms. The team expects that other atoms could also be used. NIST News Release TriQuint Unveils High Power, Wideband RF Transistors with Powerband Technology
CompoundSemi News StaffNovember 18, 2008...TriQuint Semiconductor of Hillsboro, Oregon and San Diego, California USA, has introduced a new, high power discrete RF transistor family for broadband. The technology dubbed "Powerband", which was unveiled at he MILCOM military communications conference and exhibition at the San Diego Convention Center, can be utilized in radar, signal jammers, and wireless communications.
TriQuint says that while previous broadband solutions traded-off performance to achieve relative wide-band service, its PowerBand technology achieves what it says is unprecedented bandwidth coverage without sacrificing efficiency or other key performance parameters.
“PowerBand changes the wireless equation, creating an opportunity to save a tremendous amount of space, cost and energy. Because PowerBand™ efficiently delivers high power across unprecedented bandwidth, an RF design may require only one transistor line-up2 instead of several.” said TriQuint President and CEO Ralph Quinsey.
“The incredible performance of PowerBand is the first thing that evaluating engineers recognize as truly outstanding,” said Bill McCalpin, PowerBand™ Co-Inventor and General Manager, TriQuint Colorado Design Center. “A traditional high power RF transistor is designed to operate across a narrow frequency range, such as 2.53 - 2.65 GHz. Within that range it delivers power relatively efficiently. But as bandwidth increases, performance falls. PowerBand is totally different in its ability to deliver high power—up to 50Watts2—and high efficiency performance – 50 percent PAE, typical – across a much wider frequency range, from 500 MHz to 3 GHz.” TriQuint News Release Covage Selects Infinera for Nationwide Optical Network in France
CompoundSemi News StaffNovember 18, 2008...Covage, an optical network provider in France, has selected the Infinera DTN optical system for a nationwide network across France to support its wholesale telecom business. The Infinera DTN optical system reportedly offers speed and flexibility fulfill Covage's mission of bringing greater competition to the French telecom market.
Covage, which is involved in the acquisition, development and operation of "Open Access Next Generation Networks" in France, provides wholesale bandwidth services to telecom operators. Covage is jointly owned by Axia Networks France, a wholly owned subsidiary of Axia NetMedia Corporation, and VINCI Networks, a wholly owned subsidiary of VINCI Construction France. It currently has interests in 12 regional networks and is building a national optical backbone to interconnect its regional networks and offer cost-effective carrier services to its customers nationwide.
Infinera explains that its use of photonic integration enables Covage to put more optical capacity in a smaller footprint than on competitor systems, helping reduce operating expense. Also, Infinera's system allows the separation between the line-side modules and the client-side modules that enables Covage to offer many different services from the same system. Infinera News Release Sapphire Substrate Supplier for LED Production to Repurchase Common Stock
LIGHTimes StaffNovember 13, 2008...Amid uncertainty in the economy, Rubicon Technology Inc., a maker of sapphire substrates and products for the LED, RFIC, semiconductor, and optical markets, announced that the board of directors has authorized a stock repurchase plan. Under the plan, the company will purchase up to $15 million of common stock over a two-year period. The repurchase program authorizes the company to repurchase shares of its common stock in the open market at times and prices considered appropriate. Company News Release, Content continues for LIGHTimes SecondPage members... U.S. DOE Awards $1.5 Million to GeneSic to Develop Power Technology for Green Energy Integration into Grid
CompoundSemi News StaffNovember 12, 2008...The US Department of Energy has awarded GeneSiC Semiconductor of Dulles, Virginia USA, two separate grants totaling $1.5 million for the development of high-voltage silicon carbide (SiC) devices to enable wind and solar power integration with the nation's electricity grid. Silicon carbide is semiconductor material that can handle 10x the voltage and 100x the current of silicon. This makes it ideal for high-power applications including: renewable energy (wind and solar) installations and electrical-grid control systems.
The first award is a $750k Phase II Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) grant for the development of fast, multi-kilovolt SiC gate-turn-off (GTO) power devices that can be used in government and commercial applications such as: power-management and -conditioning systems for ships, the utility industry, and medical imaging. The second is a $750k Phase II Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant for the development of optically gated high-power SiC switches for environments plagued by electro-magnetic interference (EMI).
"These awards demonstrate the DOE's confidence in GeneSiC's capabilities, as well as its commitment to alternative energy solutions," notes Dr. Ranbir Singh, president of GeneSiC. "An integrated, efficient power grid is critical to the nation's energy future -- and the SiC devices we're developing are critical for overcoming the inefficiencies of conventional silicon technologies." GeneSic News Release Our news features are reported
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