MagnaChip to Acquire Dawin Electronics, Maker of Power Modules
CompoundSemi News StaffJanuary 30, 2012...MagnaChip Semiconductor Corporation announced that its Korean subsidiary has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Dawin Electronics Co. Ltd., a privately held semiconductor company that designs and manufactures insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs), fast recovery diode (FRD), and MOSFET modules. Dawin Electronics is headquartered in Incheon, South Korea, and has sales offices in China and Europe. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
"The acquisition of Dawin Electronics is a strategic fit for MagnaChip and allows us to continue to diversify and expand our fast-growing Power Solutions business into the commercial and industrial segments," said Sang Park, MagnaChip's Chairman and CEO. "Dawin's high-power modules will enable MagnaChip to compete quickly and effectively in the high-growth IGBT market with a broader portfolio of power solutions for our customers. This acquisition also demonstrates our continued focus on capital allocation and commitment to return shareholder value to our investors."
The IGBT is used in a broad range of medium- to high-power commercial and industrial applications and in many consumer appliances such as variable speed refrigerators, air-conditioners and stereo systems. Availability of affordable, reliable IGBTs is also an important enabler for electric vehicles and hybrid cars.
MagnaChip says that the acquisition of Dawin and its IGBT and FRD module technology is synergistic with its goal of expanding into high-growth, high-margin markets. The acquisition is expected to be completed before the end of March 2012.
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AQT Readies Copper Zinc Tin Sulphide Solar Cell CommericializationJanuary 30, 2012...AQT Solar, a developer of CIGS copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) thin-film solar cells based in Sunnyvale, California USA, announced that it has achieved near world record efficiencies using sputter deposited copper zinc tin sulfide (CZTS) thin-film solar cells.
AQT Solar says that CZTS can be produced more easily and at an even lower cost than CIGS solar cells with the same processes and platforms used to make its CIGS 2.0 solar cells. AQT has adopted the term CIGS 3.0 to refer to its future CZTS product to reflect the production compatibility and similarities of the two systems, which are both manufactured as drop-in replacements for crystalline silicon cells.
AQT notes that the “earth abundant” raw materials comprising CZTS are substantially cheaper and more abundant than those in CIGS thus mitigating any geopolitical influence on material sourcing.
IBM has been developing CZTS solar cells since the mid-1990s and recently employed a complex organometallic spin coating to achieve efficiencies up to 10.4 percent. In contrast, AQT says it has rapidly achieved close to 10 percent efficiencies for sputtered CZTS leveraging its CIGS manufacturing processes.
AQT plans to have CZTS modules “under sun” later this year and begin the product commercialization process.
Michael Bartholomeusz, CEO of AQT Solar stated, “Early on we recognized the critical necessity to adopt a future-proofed manufacturing platform and strategy and it remains a cornerstone of our business, enabling us to easily adapt solar cell production to new, advantageous materials such as CZTS.” GreenVolts Partners with Independent Solar Developers to Offer Solar for Agriculture
CompoundSemi News StaffJanuary 30, 2012...GreenVolts, Inc., a provider a provider of a complete and fully integrated concentrating solar systems, announced a strategic partnership with Independent Solar Developers (ISD), a turnkey solar system developer of solar energy solutions for Southern California agricultural applications.
Greenvolts notes that using solar energy for agriculture is a large and untapped opportunity. In California alone, agricultural businesses require over 2,000 MW and use more than 10 TWh annually. The modular design of the system can reportedly be configured for distributed loads, such as irrigation pumps located on different parcels of land, or scaled up to meet higher demand, such as refrigeration in the processing of vegetables. ISIS, the energy management software included with the system, allows remote monitoring and management of all the systems from anywhere on the Internet. These businesses are interested in lowering their cost of electricity, which can exceed 20 percent of production costs.
ISD also can provide financing. The companies say that they have their first project installed and operating successfully, and have others in progress. They also report delivering tailored solutions for irrigation, cattle, food processing, and other agricultural applications.
“I cannot overemphasize the advantage that a complete system from one supplier with a single, overall, 20-year warranty presents to an owner who is considering solar energy,” said Peter Molloy, Principal, Independent Solar Developers.
David Gudmundson, president and CEO of GreenVolts stated, “Our installation for irrigation in Coachella Valley went well, and we already have projects for several different applications underway.”
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First Solar Claims Another World Record for CdTe Solar PV Efficiency
CompoundSemi News StaffJanuary 23, 2012...First Solar, Inc. of Tempe, Arizona USA, announced that it has achieved 14.4 percent total area efficiency with its cadmium telluride photovoltaic modules. The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) confirmed the new world record record. The new record reportedly eclipsed the prior record of 13.4 percent, which First Solar also set. First Solar notes that it utilizes a continuous manufacturing process which transforms a sheet of glass into a complete solar module in less than 2.5 hours.

First Solar Chief Technology Officer Dave Eaglesham announced the record performance at the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi. It comes just six months after First Solar set another world record for CdTe solar cell efficiency with a mark of 17.3 percent. Both the cell and module record-setters were constructed using commercial-scale manufacturing equipment and materials at the Company's Perrysburg, Ohio factory. Cell efficiency measures the proportion of light converted to energy in a single solar cell. Whereas total area module efficiency measures light conversion across a production-size, multi-cell solar module, providing a more realistic assessment of real-world performance than cell or aperture-area efficiency.
"This considerable achievement supports our module efficiency roadmap and demonstrates our ability to convert our record-cell technology into ongoing module-level improvements," said Dave Eaglesham, First Solar's Chief Technology Officer. "These records also underscore the tremendous ongoing potential of CdTe compared to silicon-based technologies."
 United Silicon Carbide to Develop SiC Devices with Aixtron SiC Planetary Reactor Technology
CompoundSemi News StaffJanuary 23, 2012...Aixtron SE of Aachen, Germany, reports that United Silicon Carbide, Inc. (USCi), based in Princeton, New Jersey, USA, is developing the next generation of silicon carbide (SiC) devices utilizing Aixtron's VP2400 Hot-Wall CVD tool. Aixtron received the order in the fourth quarter of 2011 and expects to delivered the CVD tool in the third quarter of 2012.
Dr. John Hostetler, Director of Engineering at USCi, commented, “Having evaluated the market for SiC epitaxy equipment, and based upon our success with merchant SiC epitaxy vendors utilizing similar tools, we have selected the Aixtron VP2400HW system for the superior quality of both n- and p-type SiC epitaxial layers. The versatility of the 2400 system will enable USCi to rapidly develop novel device designs. The system’s ability to achieve high growth rates make it an ideal platform to develop our next generation high voltage (5-15kV) SiC devices with thicknesses in excess of 100 microns. Aixtron Planetary Reactors are becoming the standard for high volume SiC device production and our ownership of a 2400 will greatly facilitate our production process transfer to our merchant epitaxial wafer partners.”
Dr. Frank Wischmeyer, Vice President and Managing Director, Aixtron AB, Sweden added, “Our SiC Planetary Reactor® technology has continued to evolve over the past 10 years. Our extensive experience and know-how in the SiC deposition process is evident in the current design. Aixtron is pleased to partner with United Silicon Carbide as they advance SiC materials into next generation devices.”
High-power (>100mW), 532nm-wavelength Compact Green Laser Module Announced
CompoundSemi News StaffJanuary 23, 2012...QD Laser Inc., the Institute for Nano Quantum Information Electronics, the University of Tokyo, and Fujitsu Laboratories Limited announced the development of a high-power 532nm-wavelength compact green laser module. The laser boasts high efficiency and high-speed modulation capability. The laser reportedly combines the near-infrared high-power single-mode laser based on proprietary semiconductor DFB (Distributed feedback) laser technology with wavelength conversion technology realizes a compact laser module of about 0.5cc that can provide high output power. An evaluation of the prototype module confirmed green light output of greater than 100mW under CW (Continuous wave) conditions and high-speed modulation of more than 100MHz.
This module shows promise for a range of applications such as florescence microscopes or spectral analysis in life science or biomedical applications, and precise measurements as well as nondestructive inspections in industry. The laser is also expected to be used in future ultra-compact projectors in consumer electronics. QD Laser plans to start sample shipments of the new QLD0593-P50, with >50mW output power from the 2nd quarter of 2012. Mass production of the device is set to commence in the 4th quarter.
A prototype of the green laser module will be exhibited at SPIE Photonics West (Booth#5307), held from January 24, 2012, in San Francisco. This development is supported in part by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) and Project for Developing Innovation Systems conducted by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), Japan.
Alpha and Omega Semiconductor Demonstrates 1200V UniSiC Stack-Cascode MOSFET
CompoundSemi News StaffJanuary 16, 2012...Alpha and Omega Semiconductor Limited of Sunnyvale, California USA, a
developer and global supplier of power semiconductors, and SemiSouth
Laboratories jointly demonstrated UniSiC™, a 1200V, 90mohms MOSFET in a
TO262 package. The MOSFET is designed to meet the growing need for energy efficient
switching devices for power conversion applications in the alternative
energy, industrial, and consumer segments.
The UniSiC™ MOSFET provides low Rdson and gate charge Qg, an excellent body
diode with virtually no stored charge, and a low diode forward voltage drop.
The device may be used similar to a conventional MOSFET or IGBT, with
standard gate drives. It is reportedly engineered so it can be switched as
fast as a Superjunction MOSFET, or as slow as an IGBT. The company claims
that the device has far superior characteristics compared to existing IGBTs,
Silicon power MOSFETs, or even the best competitive SiC 1200V MOSFET. The
company also indicated that the small die size shows will enable future
miniaturization of power circuits given how much it cuts conduction and
switching losses.
The UniSiC™ device is formed by stacking a special low voltage Silicon
MOSFET atop a normally-on SiC JFET from SemiSouth. AOS says it engineered
the low voltage MOSFET to allow optimal operation of the composite device
with clean switching, low Rdson, gate charge and superb diode
characteristics. It is intended to provide great ease of use, working with
standard drive circuitry, and drastically improving circuit efficiencies
over the whole range of load current. Eulitha to Collaborate with EV Group to Develop To Develop Low Cost of Ownership Nanopatterning Solution for HB LED Fabrication
LIGHTimes News StaffJanuary 16, 2012...Eulitha AG of Villigen, Switzerland, a producer of nanostructures using
advanced lithography techniques, announced that it has signed a
joint-development and licensing agreement with EV Group (EVG), a supplier of
wafer bonding and lithography equipment. Under the terms of the
collaborative agreement, EVG will integrate Eulitha’s PHABLE mask-based
ultraviolet (UV) photolithography technology with EVG’s automated mask
aligner product platform. The collaboration's goal is to develop a
low-cost-of-ownership (CoO) nanopatterning solution for producing HB-LEDs.
The companies report that demo capabilities are in place already, and the
first products are expected to reach the market in 2012.
In addition to enabling the production of LEDs, Eulitha says that the
technology also supports the production of solar cells and liquid crystal
displays. Eulitha notes that the fabrication technology combines the low
cost, ease-of-use and non-contact capabilities of proximity lithography with
sub-micron resolution, making it ideally suited for patterning sapphire
substrates to enhance the light extraction of LED devices. EVG plans to
offer a PHABLE enabled EVG620 system as an extension to its well-
established mask alignment system platform, giving customers an even wider
choice of configuration options.
Harun Solak, CEO of Eulitha stated, “We believe the synergies of our
respective technologies have great potential to provide the resolution and
volume-production capabilities of lithography steppers at a fraction of the
cost—enabling LED, optics and photonics manufacturers with extremely tight
cost constraints the opportunity to extend their technology roadmaps to
higher levels of performance.” Our news features are reported
by the CompoundSemi News staff writers.
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