14 February 2011

Veeco receives $4.8m DOE grant to speed multi-stage CIGS PV tool development

Epitaxial deposition and process equipment maker Veeco Instruments Inc of Plainview, NY, USA has been awarded $4.8m by the US Department of Energy (DOE) to accelerate the R&D, integration and commercialization of its thin-film copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) multi-stage thermal deposition systems for the manufacturing of cost-efficient photovoltaic (PV) solar cells.

The award was granted as part of the DOE’s ‘SunShot’ High-Impact Supply Chain R&D Program, the goal of which is to strengthen the US solar manufacturing industry, improve manufacturing efficiencies, and reduce costs (in order to achieve price parity between solar electricity and fossil-based electricity by the end of the decade, without additional subsidies). Total funding of $20.3m for five projects includes support for companies across the solar energy supply chain, including US material and tool suppliers and companies that are developing technologies that can be adopted directly into current manufacturing processes.

The award to Veeco will help it to speed up efforts at the Veeco Solar Equipment unit in Lowell, MA, USA to commercialize multi-stage thermal deposition production systems used to manufacture cost-efficient CIGS solar cells.

“Developing new, clean, homegrown sources of energy is a vital part of our economic recovery,” comments Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). “This federal investment will help drive research and development of new solar power technology, helping make solar power more efficient. By making solar power more effective and affordable over the long term, we can cut emissions, improve our environment, lower our energy bills, and create good-paying green jobs,” he adds.

“Investments in our growing clean technology industry are critical to both our economic recovery and our national security,” says Representative Steve Israel (D-NY). “This Department of Energy funding will bolster our efforts to compete globally as a clean energy leader,” he adds.

“I strongly supported Veeco’s grant application because this major investment in Lowell will help create jobs in our community by developing the clean energy technology that can reduce household energy bills while promoting reliable domestic sources of power,” comments Representative Niki Tsongas (D-MA).

See related items:

Veeco reports record quarterly revenue of $300m in Q4

See: Veeco Company Profile

Tags: Veeco CIGS

Visit: www.veeco.com

Visit: www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/sunshot

Join Semiconductor Today's group on LinkedIn