Jul 23 2009
Sunovia Energy Technologies, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: SUNV) and its partner EPIR Technologies, Inc. announced today the United States Department of Energy has awarded a second contract to EPIR Technologies to provide improved infrared (IR) detectors to be used in a new generation of tools for the inspection and characterization of infrared materials and products. These advanced tools, known as Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) materials characterization and inspection tools, are used to characterize semiconductor material properties in a nondestructive fashion and are especially useful in semiconductor production environments, to inspect the product for quality control without damaging it.
EPIR, founded in 1998, is a world leader in the development of innovative new infrared products, many of which have been developed and produced under contracts with the U.S. Department of Defense. Sunovia is the exclusive distributor of EPIR products.
The infrared detectors to be produced under the DOE contract are based on II-VI materials (i.e., formulated from elements in the second and sixth columns of the periodic table), similar to those used in ultra-high-efficiency multi-junction solar cells that are being jointly developed by Sunovia and EPIR, also under DOE sponsorship. It is believed that these ultra-high-efficiency solar cells will outperform the most efficient solar cells produced today at a fraction of their cost.
"We are excited to work with the Department of Energy on both next-generation infrared detectors and photovoltaic solar cells. While II-VI materials have been the state-of-the-art in infrared detection for years, they are just now beginning to impact the solar industry with the emergence of thin-film CdTe technology," said Dr. Siva Sivananthan, founder and CEO of EPIR. "The single-crystal II-VI materials we have developed for infrared applications can be tuned more precisely and to a wider degree than those of the materials currently used in ultra-high-efficiency solar cells. This allows us to more efficiently split the solar spectrum and thus achieve higher performance solar cells."
"Government funding is an important element in the early success of the Sunovia-EPIR partnership, not only for its financial impact but also because it demonstrates the value of the advanced technology we are jointly developing," said Carl Smith, co-founder and CEO of Sunovia. "In addition, the success of EPIR's infrared detection business, along with the growth of Sunovia's leading-edge LED illumination business, will generate cash that will help fund our important work in developing ultra-high-efficiency solar cells to provide clean power for future generations."