News Article
Cambrios and Ascent Announce collaboration on Solar Power
Research targeted at applications of CIGS solar cells to U.S. military applications
Ascent Solar Technologies is a developer of flexible thin-film photovoltaic modules while Cambrios uses nanotechnology to simplify electronic materials manufacturing processes and improve end-product performance.
Ascent says it will investigate whether its Copper-Indium-Gallium-Selenium (CIGS) photovoltaics thin-film solar modules can be used with Cambrios' ClearOhm coatings. ClearOhm films produce a transparent, conductive film by wet processing are alleged to have improved properties by comparison to traditional transparent conductive oxides.
Although CIGS solar cells are not as efficient as crystalline silicon solar cells they are expected to be substantially cheaper due to the much lower material cost and potentially lower fabrication cost.
Another advantage of CIGS over crystalline silicon is that they have a direct bandgap and thus require much thinner layers to absorb the same amount of light.
"Ascent Solar has very high efficiency CIGS solar cells so they are the perfect partner for this program," Cambrios Chief Executive Officer Michael Knapp said in a statement.
"Unlike transparent conductive oxides typically used as thin-film solar cell electrodes, Cambrios' ClearOhm material is also highly flexible. Together our companies have the right technologies to provide the Army with lightweight, flexible CIGS solar cells with better efficiency than what has been possible to date."
