Category Archives: Phoenix Green Business Examiner
In Focus: GaN-on-Si LEDs
Plessey Semiconductors has announced earlier this month that samples of its LED products using gallium nitride (GaN) films on 6-inch silicon substrates are now commercially available for sampling, which is the first of its kind across the industry. The development of comparable quality LEDs on silicon substrates to current standards is considered a holy grail [...]
The Solar Manufacturing Industry: No Improvements Yet
Recent solar module production capacity has been nearly twice the demand, resulting in significant overcapacity and excessive inventories. Solar manufacturers have reduced prices to record lows, often at or below the module cost of goods sold (COGS). Companies have been hunkering down until overall market conditions improve by laying off workers or actively seek creative [...]
Google Nexus 4: Solar Charger Included
Canonical, a leading software company, announced today that images and open source code for the smartphone version of Ubuntu will be released on February 21. The software will work on the Galaxy Nexus and Nexus 4 smartphones, and is designed for enthusiasts and apps developers. Canonical wants developers to be able to familiarize themselves with [...]
Will PV Module Prices Finally Stabilize?
Solar PV revenues and module prices are predicted to slightly stabilize in the second half of 2013 but not after more declines over the next several months, according to a market research report released this week from IHS. A new solar PV module shipment record of 11GW was reached in the fourth quarter according to [...]
Will Future Cell Phones Save Flexible Solar?
Copper-indium-gallium-diselenide, also known as CIGS solar cells are enabling a new suite of flexible applications from solar roof tiles to consumer electronics such as Apple and Samsung smartphones. CIGS have the competitive advantage that they can be deposited on flexible substrates as opposed to conventional solar panels, which enables a variety of niche products. A [...]
FUTUREWATCH: Flexible Cell Phones from Samsung
Flexible cell phone displays are on the horizon. Samsung is planning to start production of mobile phones that feature plastic displays rather than glass in 2013- that will be lighter, durable and possibly even less expensive than current cell phones on the market. The company is planning to use a plastic material instead of glass, [...]
Next Generation LED Wafers
A recent article published at this site discussed the prospectus for lowering the cost of LED lighting by the transition to less-expensive wafers such as silicon (Si). This follow-up article discusses some of the technical issues surrounding this thrust in technology. Gallium nitride (GaN) is one of the top thin-film epitaxial layers used for high-brightness LEDs but it has required relatively [...]
In Focus: GaN-on-Si LED Lighting
More and more countries, including the US, are phasing out the sale of incandescent bulbs, which offers an increasing market opportunity for energy-efficient LED lighting. President Barack Obama actively supports LED lighting and his Recovery Act legislation included hundreds of millions to support this industry. Clean energy technology such as solar, wind and electric cars, [...]
The State Of The CPV Market 2013
A US-based solar manufacturer has offered a glimmer of light to the much-maligned solar market. Solar Junction of San Jose, CA, which manufactures III-V element, compound semiconductor, multi-junction solar cells for concentrated photovoltaic (CPV), surpassed its own world record this week for the energy conversion efficiency of a commercial-ready module. It raised the bar to [...]
Global PV Shakeout Not Stopping Industry Growth
The leading indicators of global photovoltaic (PV) solar industry supply and demand such as: module production, supply and market-demand are expected to be within 8 percent of the second-half 2012 global market demand of 17.2 GW, as a slight sign of recovery for solar, according to a report published last month by NPD Solarbuzz. This [...]
Power Management ICs: Paving The Way for Greener Electronics
There has been a movement in the semiconductor industry over the last decade to meet the increasing demand for greener electronics for a whole host of applications in the consumer and industrial sectors. The driving forces include: increasing energy demand and prices trending higher, growing concerns over the expanding carbon footprint of energy production and [...]
In Focus: 3D-IC & TSV Technology
Improved performance, reduced timing, reduced power consumption and device scaling attributes are key driving forces for the adoption of new microchip technology for mobile devices referred to as 3D integrated circuits (ICs) and through silicon via (TSV) interconnects. Reducing power consumption leads to the benefits of less heat generation, extended battery life, and a lower [...]