8-16 News v2 10/9/09 13:24 Page 15
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New solar power world record
UNSW solar cell researchers have played
the key role in achieving the highest
efficiency for solar power, setting a new
world record of 43 per cent of sunlight
converted into electricity.
The UNSW team, led by Scientia Professor
Martin Green, Research Director of the
UNSW ARC Photovoltaics Centre of
Excellence, combined with two US groups
to demonstrate a multi-cell combination
which has set the new benchmark for
converting sunlight into electricity by any
possible approach.
“Because sunlight is made up of many
colours of different energy, ranging from the
high energy ultraviolet to the low energy with four other cells, each optimised for an individual solar cell set by UNSW last
infrared, a combination of solar cells of different parts of the solar spectrum, the year. However it was an important pointer
different materials can convert sunlight more five-cell combination converted 43 per cent for the future potential of solar photovoltaic
efficiently than any single cell,” Professor of the sunlight into electricity, bettering the power.
Green said. Professor Green, with previous world record by 0.3 per cent.
colleague Dr Anita Ho-Baillie, led the team “This latest record involves an expensive
that developed a silicon cell optimised to “Our group’s silicon cell was the key combination of cells and the sunlight
capture light at the red and near-infrared contributor to the new result,” Professor was focused to produce a much higher
end of the spectrum. Green said. Professor Stuart Wenham, intensity than standard sunlight for these
Director of the ARC Centre, said the new measurements. It does show, however,
That cell was able to convert up to 46 per record was not directly comparable to what eventually may be practical,”
cent of light into electricity. When combined the 25 per cent efficiency world record for Professor Wenham said.
Material changes gets the Jazz
collaboration between Jazz and UCSD to
develop a 2-antenna quad-beam 11-15 GHz
phased array receiver that enables high-
performance phased arrays for satellite
Jazz Semiconductor, Inc., a Tower Group sectors in the semiconductor industry. communications by integrating many
Company, has announced it is targeted at functions on the same silicon chip and
replacing GaAs components in high growth The company’s process technology includes replacing 8 GaAs ICs, drastically lowering
markets such as millimeter wave and front- a SiGe transistor with demonstrated the cost of phased array assembly. First
end components of cellular phones with its performance of up to 200GHz as well as time success was achieved using Jazz’s
enhanced SiGe BiCMOS process, IP and noise and power performance that is 0.18-micron SiGe BiCMOS process and its
design enablement offerings. SiGe provides competitive with GaAs while offering as own proprietary models, kit and DIRECT
significant integration and cost advantage much as 40% lower die cost. Also included MPW (Multi-project Wafer) program.
over GaAs, enabling products in the are CMOS options to enable mixed-signal “We continue to see migration of GaAs
emerging markets of automotive collision and digital functions on the same chip products into SiGe as an exciting growth
avoidance, phased-array radar, and HDTV further reducing cost of the complete opportunity for our technology.
wireless distribution as well as established system.
markets such as optical network and cellular This transition is largely complete in optical
phone front-end components. To facilitate the transition from GaAs to front-end components but just beginning in
SiGe-based designs, Jazz partnered with cellular phone front-ends and millimeter-
Jazz is working with more than half of the Agilent to provide a SiGe design kit in ADS wave applications,” said Dr. Marco
top 10 IC providers in several of these (Advanced Design System), a leading Racanelli, Senior Vice President and GM of
market segments on SiGe solutions. design platform for GaAs-based products, RF/HPA and Aerospace and Defense
According to data from Strategy Analytics, speeding time-to-market for customers Business Groups. “We will continue to
the combined millimeter wave and FEM targeting applications up to and beyond 60 invest in high performance processes as
market is estimated to grow from $400 to 77GHz. well as design enablement infrastructure to
million in 2009 to over $750 million in 2012, An example of a successful transition from speed time-to-market for our customers in
a CAGR of over 23%, outpacing most other GaAs to SiGe is the recently announced these emerging applications.”
September 2009 www.compoundsemiconductor.net 15
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