News in brief: Spectrolab, Nokia, and white LEDs
Spectrolab cells enter “Hall of Fame”
Multi-junction solar cells manufactured by the US company Spectrolab have been inducted into the Space Technology “Hall of Fame”.
Four employees at the Boeing subsidiary – Bruce Cavicchi, James Ermer, Nasser Karam and Richard King – were honored at a ceremony in Colorado Springs, CO.
Spectrolab has delivered more than 1.4 million multi-junction solar cells to satellite manufacturers, and the company’s technology has been used to power more than 500 satellites over the past 40 years.
Its latest triple-junction devices, which feature GaInP2, GaAs and germanium cells on a germanium substrate, have an efficiency of 28%.
Nokia sales drop unexpectedly
Nokia, the world’s leading cell phone manufacturer, has surprised the industry by announcing that its sales for the first quarter of 2004 will be 2% down on the same period last year.
The Finnish company had predicted sales to be up 3-7% on the 2003 figure, and the news sent Nokia shares spiralling down almost 19% on the New York Stock Exchange.
Nokia said that a decline in sales of cell phones to Europe and Asia was due to problems with its product mix, which is weighted more towards low-end phones. The company will announce its full first-quarter results and outlook on April 16.
Megapixel resolution a boon for white LEDs
More than half of all camera-enabled cell phones will feature megapixel resolution by 2006, says the market analyst company Strategy Analytics.
The move towards higher-resolution imaging capability is good news for manufacturers of high-brightness LEDs, since megapixel detectors demand a higher light intensity flash.
According to Jong-Je Jung, VP of the development division at LG Innotek, this in turn demands a four-fold increase in LED power for sufficient illumination.
Strategy Analytics says that NEC is the market leader in camera phones, with a 16% global share. Over 90% of its phones now include a camera module.
Optical pick-up prices drop in Asia
Prices of optical pick-ups used in recordable DVD drives have declined, according to a report in Japan’s Nikkei Business Daily newspaper.
Prices for January-March 2004 were 14% down on October-December 2003, as problems with the supply of semiconductor lasers were resolved. The January-March period is also one of low demand traditionally, helping to further depress prices.
