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Emcore awarded for III-V multi-junction solar cells

The AURP has honoured Emcore for its III-v solar cell technology development
Emcore Corporation, a provider of compound semiconductor-based components and subsystems for the fibre optics and solar power markets, has received the Association of University Research Parks' (AURP) Innovation Award.

The firm was honoured for its pioneering work in the development and commercialisation of high-efficiency III-V multi-junction solar cells for space and terrestrial solar power applications.

The award was presented to Emcore's President and Chief Executive Officer, Hong Q. Hou on September 26th, 2013 at the AURP's International Conference Awards Luncheon. Annually, the AURP presents Awards of Excellence in several categories including the Innovation Award presented to Emcore and the Outstanding Research/Science Park Award presented to Sandia Science & Technology Park in 2008.

Emcore started its efforts to design and manufacture radiation-hardened, high-efficiency multi-junction solar cells for satellite and space power applications at the Sandia Science & Technology Park (SS&TP) in early 1998.

The research and development team led by Hong Hou, who had come to Emcore from Sandia National Laboratories, licensed background intellectual properties related to multi-junction solar cells from Sandia, the Air Force Research Laboratory, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

From there Emcore formed its PV division in Albuquerque, New Mexico and built its 160,000 square foot state-of-the-art semiconductor wafer fabrication facility. Today that facility is one of the largest multi-junction solar cell manufacturing plants in the world.

Emcore's high-efficiency multi-junction solar cells have led the way in the transformation of the space solar power industry over the past 15 years. Emcore's entry into the industry has advanced solar cell efficiency from 17 percent, the standard for silicon-based technology prior to 1998, to 37 percent conversion efficiency for its latest generation Inverted Metamorphic Multi-Junction (IMM) solar cells that are currently being introduced to volume production.

With the success of the commercialisation of high-efficiency multi-junction solar cells for space power applications, Emcore relocated its corporate headquarters from New Jersey to the SS&TP in Albuquerque in 2006.

"We are very pleased and honoured to receive the AURP's Innovation Award for our work in multi-junction solar cell technology development and commercialization," says Hong Hou.

"I would also like to thank the Sandia National Laboratories and the SS&TP for their superb resources and support of our efforts from the very beginning. And, I would especially like to thank our employees in the PV division for their dedication and innovative work all these years, paving the way for Emcore's success in the industry," adds Hong Hou.

"Emcore is more than deserving of the AURP's Innovation Award," comments Jackie Kerby Moore, Executive Director of the SS&TP. "They are creating products used in the global marketplace, and they are doing most of that right here in the Sandia Science &Technology Par
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