Technical Insight
Nitride News/Optoelectronics News (Nitride News/Optoelectronics News)
Emcore Receives $12M Order for Triple-Junction Solar Cells Emcore has received an additional $12 million order from Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) of Palo Alto, California for high efficiency, triple-junction solar cells, used to provide power in space for communications satellites. "We selected Emcore s innovative high-efficiency solar cell products because their technology will allow us to design satellite systems that offer increased power over the life of the spacecraft," said John Klineberg, president of SS/L. "In satellite communications, solar cells are extremely significant, since higher solar-cell efficiency translates directly into enhanced performance." "This is another in a series of orders that highlights the trend towards the use of highly efficient multi-junction solar cells in commercial and military satellite applications," added Hong Hou, CTO of Emcore s solar cell division in Albuquerque, New Mexico. "These new triple-junction solar cells provide 71% more power at end-of-life, on-orbit, than the highest efficiency silicon cells." AXT Discontinues Laser Diode Production AXT will stop production of laser diodes in 2001 in order to focus on core businesses, namely substrates, LEDs and VCSELs. In 1999, AXT acquired Lyte Optronics and the subsidiary Apollo Photonics business, which was at one time one of the world s leading producers of visible laser diodes. "Over the past year, we have experienced tremendous growth in our GaAs and InP substrate businesses, successfully launched our new high-brightness blue, green and cyan LED products, and introduced VCSEL wafers and chips," said Morris Young, president and CEO. "We are very encouraged by the market demand for our products, and believe that by focusing our efforts in these core areas, we can most effectively utilize our resources for continued expansion."
