Banpil Photonics is a company that received a SBIR Phase I grant for a project entitled: Significantly High-Efficiency a-Si Photovoltaic Cell. Their project seeks to develop significantly high-efficiency photovoltaic-cells (a.k.a. solar-cells) for clean electrical energy generation commercial applications. Conventional solar cell has the limitation in conversion efficiency, basically structured dependent. For example, it is ~18% for Si-crystal and 10% for amorphous-Si (a-Si) based Solar cell. It is required to develop solar cell utilizing material systems, which are matured, friendly to manufacturing, and can be fabricated using low-cost substrate (e.g. glass). A goal of the Phase I program is to carry on research and development of a-Si-solar cell for conversion efficiency of >25%, utilizing the glass-substrate. The design, performance simulation, and parameters optimization will be carried out during the Phase I activity period. The proposed high-efficiency a-Si solar cell structure is widely applicable to next generation commercial applications. According to the recent report from the US Department of Energy (DOE), today's global market for solar cells for all commercial applications is $7-billion and it is estimated to grow with >40% per year, reaching $39-billion in 2014. Commercial applications include residential applications (on-grid/off-grid), industrial applications (both on-grid and off-grid), and consumer products (e.g. cell phones, PDAs). Banpil Photonics is a company that received a SBIR Phase I grant for a project entitled: High Speed Flexible Printed Circuit (FPC). Their Project will investigate an innovative high-speed Flexible Printed Circuit (FPC) utilizing conventional material (like Polyimide) and standard manufacturing process. With the continued growth in integration density of CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) technology and clock frequency of chips, the aggregate bandwidth required between future-generation chip and chipsets will increase sharply. Driving serial or parallel data at high speed over conventional flexible board (i.e. flexible) is becoming a severe design constraint in many applications. Today, divding high speed signal into several low speed signals and driving those signals in parallel are common. Utilizing this technique will not fully utilize the chip speed and thereby overall system performance will not be improved siginificantly. The proposed technology will produce the high speed FPC which will have high signal carrying capacity. Utilizing such FPC will help to increase the system performance significantly. The objectives of the project are to identify the best structural configuration and its optimization, to design the polymer-based FPC, and to establish the feasibility of high speed FPC board. In this project, prototypes will be made and evaluated, measurements of relevant characteristics will be conducted, and a development path for the next phase of the project will be identified. The project has the potential to produce the high speed interfaces suitable for next generation digital and RF system applications. The direct commercial potential of the project lies in interface products, manufactured using this technology for HDTV, flat-panel display, networking equipments, imaging and video systems, etc. Banpil Photonics is a company that received a SBIR Phase I grant for a project entitled: Multipurpose and Multispectral Sensor for Geo-science and Astronomical Instruments. Their research project will develop monolithic multicolor sensor array with high quantum efficiency, high speed for numerous system applications. Today's sensor arrays are designed to work either in visible or in near infrared region. None of these can provide broad spectral response (300 nm to 2500 nm). The goal is to identify suitable sensor array structures for broad range detection, with combined high quantum efficiency, and high speed. A second goal is to identify a photodiode or sensor array structure where each pixel can be addressed independently. The design, performance simulation, and also physical parameters optimization will also be carried out as a part of this research activity. The broader impact of this research is that broad spectral image sensors are required for various ground-based, air-borne, space-borne geo-science instruments for the atmospheric properties measurement, surface topography, range detection, remote sensing, and real-time monitoring of biological systems. To date, several sensors covering different spectral ranges are used for this purpose. Next generation geo-science and astronomical instrumentation require single sensor that can detect multiple spectral bands (300 to 2500 nm of wavelengths) and could be used for multiple earth-science measurements. Use of single sensor having multifunctional capability can make the instrument unusually small, light and low-power requirement. Banpil Photonics is a company that received a SBIR Phase I grant for a project entitled: Innovative High Speed Electrical Chip-to-Chip Interconnects for Next Generation Systems. Their project proposes chip-to-chip interconnects that can be applied in the mother boards/ backplanes of high performance networking systems and/or computing systems, where 10 Gb/s and beyond signal speed per channel (serial) is necessary. An innovative cost-effective high speed (> 20Gb/s per channel) electrical interconnect technology, which can increase the signal carrying capacity of the board-level interconnects more than 6 times than the conventional technology is proposed. This can help to route the signal longer distances (at given signal-speed) at lower cost by using standard dielectric material. The company will investigate the design, feasibility of the concept, process development, and data analysis approaches in order to create a high speed interconnect PCB board, and each can carry the signal as high as 20 Gb/s. The proposed high speed electrical chip-to-chip interconnects will have applications in high speed PCs, high-speed servers, networking systems, gaming machines, communications systems, imaging and video systems.

Ultrasonic Technologies is a company that received a SBIR Phase I grant for a project entitled: Resonance Ultrasonic Vibrations for Defect Characterization in Solar Silicon Wafers. Their Phase I research project addresses fundamentals of the innovative experimental methodology for quick and accurate assessment of mechanical defects in solar-grade full-size (up to 210 mm) silicon (Si) wafers. The objective is to justify a commercial prototype of the Resonance Ultrasonic Vibrations (RUV) system which ultimately will be used as a real-time in-line process control tool for identification and rejection from a solar cell production line of mechanically unstable, i.e. fragile wafers due to periphery cracks and high level of residual stress. The broader impact of the program will be in the commercialization of the RUV system to address critical needs of the photovoltaic (PV) industry. The world-wide PV market exhibits a steady yearly up to 40% growth rate in recent years. There is potential for applying this approach to other technologies, such as stress monitoring in Silicon-on isolator wafers and SiGe epitaxial layers in high-speed electronics and adhesion quality assessment in thin polycrystalline Si films on glass for flat panel displays.

Ambp Technology Corporation is a company that received a SBIR Phase I grant for a project entitled: Photovoltaic Laser Annealing System. Their project proposes to achieve recently reported gains in CIGS solar cell efficiency from in-situ laser deposition, by using an ex-situ laser annealing approach that is compatible with an existing pilot manufacturing system. The proposed ex-situ approach will not need to heat the substrate above the 425C value used to manufacture CIGS solar cells on flexible polyimide substrates. Solar cell technology is an energy alternative that can reduce America's dependence on fossil-fuel-generated electric power. A truly cost effective technology is to build cells using methods whose thermal budgets are low enough to enable the use of inexpensive polymer substrates, which enables large-area roll-to-roll processing and automated cell-to-cell connection techniques. AMBP Tech Corporation will develop and demonstrate a tool to improve solar cell performance that is immediately applicable in the solar-cell manufacturing marketplace.

Silicon Photonics Group is a company that received a STTR Phase I grant for a project entitled: Advanced Si-Ge-Sn-based Photonic Materials and Devices. Their research project aims to demonstrate prototype infrared light detectors and photovoltaic (solar cell) devices based on technology developed at Arizona State University. The new technology to be explored consists in growing optical-quality alloys of tin and germanium (Ge1-ySny) directly on silicon wafers. These alloys act as infrared materials, and they can also be used as templates for the subsequent growth of other semiconductors on silicon. Of particular interest for this project is the ternary alloy Ge1-x-ySixSny, grown for the first time at Arizona State University. Using this technology, it should be possible to build infrared detectors covering a spectral range previously inaccessible to silicon-based detectors, and to build multijunction photovoltaic devices for a more efficient capture of solar photons. The fabrication of semiconductor devices on cheap silicon wafers is of great significance because of the potentially enormous cost reductions and the possibility of integrating optoelectronic and microelectronic functions, which further reduces costs and contributes to system miniaturization. The infrared detectors proposed here cover the so-called telecom C-,L-, and U-bands within the wavelength window around 1500 nm, a region of great interest to the telecommunications industry. In the photovoltaics arena, the proposed devices have the potential to offer increased efficiencies to make crystalline silicon-based devices competitive with amorphous silicon solutions.

Anteos is a company that received a SBIR Phase II grant for a project entitled: Relief-Free Infrared Diffractive Optics Based on Semiconductor Materials. Their award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5) and their project will develop a new generation of relief-free thin-plate components of diffractive optics operating in the infrared region of spectrum. The diffractive optics employs volume phase holographic structures, which are optically recorded in semiconductor materials transparent at the infrared wavelengths using proprietary process of photo-modification for producing dramatic change of the material refractive index under illumination with low intensity light. Phase I of this project proved feasibility of the proposed concept by demonstrating photo modification of ZnSe infrared material and fabricating the first model components. The developed technology can be immediately applied to fabrication of diffractive optics, volume phase holographic gratings, and phase retardation plates for wavelengths up to 1.9 m, as well as antireflection layers for wavelengths up to 8 m. In Phase II project the technology will be optimized and applied to fabrication of the prototype components of infrared diffractive optics operating at longer wavelengths, including the important wavelength of CO2 laser 10.6 m and windows of atmospheric transparency 3-5 and 8-12 m. The developed photo-modification process is highly adaptable and creates a rich technology platform for fabrication of a broad range of products for a large variety of markets. Successful implementation of this technology will result in a new generation of high efficiency relief-free infrared diffractive optics and sub-wavelength components, including diffraction gratings, beam splitters, beam shapers, semiconductor materials with artificial birefringence, phase retardation plates and wave plates. The relief-free components of infrared diffractive optics based on semiconductor materials are capable to withstand high light intensities and perform complicated light management functions. Another important application is the fabrication of highly stable anti-reflection (AR) layers on infrared semiconductor optics. The market for infrared diffractive optics includes defense and airspace industry, laser industry, spectral devices, sensors and detectors, night vision optics, industrial process control, material processing, cutting and welding, environmental monitoring, medical diagnostics and surgery. Anteos is a company that received a SBIR Phase II grant for a project entitled: High-Efficiency Nanocomposite Photovoltaics and Solar Cells. Their project is focused on development of an innovative technology for fabrication of high-efficiency thin film nanocomposite photovoltaic materials and solar cells taking advantage of the recently discovered effect of carrier multiplication in semiconductor nanocrystals. The proposed concept employs smart design of the solar cells providing fast and effective spatial separation of electrons and holes photo-generated in the nanocrystals. The proposed reach nanotechnology platform solves the challenging problem of electrical communications with nanoscale objects, such as nanocrystals, nanorods, nanowires, nanotubes, etc. It can be employed for development of many other nanocomposite optoelectronic devices having numerous commercial and military applications. If successful the development of new generation of high-efficiency photovoltaic materials and solar cells based on the demonstrated technology will have broad impact on the entire solar energy industry resulting in considerable energy savings and environmental protection. The technology has great commercialization potential and niche market. The proposed all-inorganic, high-efficiency, thin film, flexible nanostructured photovoltaic materials and solar cells, which can operate in extreme environment conditions and offer significant mass and volume savings, are ideally suitable for numerous applications, including power generating residential rooftops, power supplies for utility grid, emergency signals and telephones, water pumps, activate switches, battery chargers, residential and commercial lighting, etc.

Gratings Incorporated is a company that received a STTR Phase I grant for a project entitled: High Efficiency Thin-film Photovoltaics on Low-cost Substrates by Layer Transfer. Their their award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and their project will apply high aspect ratio, nm-scale, columnar, and crystalline Si structures as templates for high-quality growth of thin-film GaAs solar cells on low-cost flexible substrates. Sub-10-nm Si seed layers are expected to facilitate growth of low-defect density GaAs films. The aspect ratio of nm-scale structures also serve as sacrificial layers for removal of completed GaAs solar cell. Epitaxial growth and characterization of GaAs films on nm-scale Si structures will be carried out at the Center for High Technology at the University of New Mexico. Successful phase I STTR research will lead to commercialization of high (~ 20 %) efficient, flexible solar cells for applications in a wide range of terrestrial and space environments. Multiple substrate re-use and inherent large area processing capability of Si will result in significant cost reductions. High quality heteroepitaxial GaAs growth on Si has been a subject of intense research. Due to its direct bandgap, GaAs is attractive for a number of optoelectronics applications and its integration with Si-based microelectronics has been a cherished goal. The lattice and thermal expansion mismatches with Si make it difficult to grow good device quality layers. We have recently demonstrated as the Si seed dimension is reduced below 100 nm dimensions, the quality of heteroepitaxial growth increases rapidly. The nm-scale Si structures are formed using low-cost, large area methods based on conventional integrated circuit processing methods. Successful research effort will lead to reduction in PV generation costs, and enhanced applicability of thin-film PV in terrestrial and space environments because in contrast with competing thin-film solar cells, GaAs thin-film solar cells will not suffer from light-induced performance degradation.