25 February 2013

US Air Force awards Emcore $7.4m contract to develop 33%-efficient PV cells

On 22 February, Emcore Corp of Albuquerque, NM, USA, which manufacturers compound semiconductor-based systems for fiber-optic and solar power applications, was awarded a $7,364,902 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (funding announcement FA8650-13-C-5501) by the US Department of Defense (DoD) under the Advanced Multi-Junction Space Cell Producibility Program.

The contracting activity is Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) via Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (AFB) in Ohio. Work under the contract is expected to be completed by 13 April 2018.

When the Advanced Multi-Junction Space Cell Producibility Program was announced in September 2011, it was stated that its objective was to improve manufacturing capabilities, develop improved manufacturing processes, and space qualify air-mass zero (AM0), one-sun, inverted metamorphic multi-junction (IMM) multi-junction solar cells, targeting 33% efficiency. Emcore’s existing third-generation triple-junction (ZTJ) solar cells have a quoted minimum average efficiency of 29.5%.

Productization and qualification of high-efficiency, flexible or rigid IMM space solar cells should improve critical performance, mass and volume budgets for small, warfighter-specific satellite payloads.

Tags: Emcore Triple-junction solar cells

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