running scared, page-12

SITM, I have done some homework for you, first of all you will need to look at what Michael Lebby wrote when he was president of OIDA, you need to then ask yourself why he left such a prestigious job to go and work at Translucent inc?

http://www.lightwaveonline.com/blog/OIDAs-...ranslucent.html


This may explain why he went?
The case for a photonics foundry in USA
www.epixnet.org/fileadmin/files/forum/EpixnetForum_Lebby.pdf


Then you need to look at some of the patents from Translucent and possibly this one in particular?
because it relates to up down conversion using photoluminescence!

Inventors: ANDREW CLARK ROBIN SMITH SCOTT SEMANS RICHARD SEWELL
Agents: FERNANDEZ & ASSOCIATES LLP
Assignees: Translucent, Inc.
Origin: MENLO PARK, CA US
IPC8 Class: AH01L3100FI
USPC Class: 2502086
Patent application number: 20100038521

Read more: http://www.faqs.org/patents/app/20100038521#ixzz0mYmMaR5q

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/y2010/0038521.html

The invention relates generally to a device structure for up and down conversion of radiation, typically solar, wherein high energy wavelengths are down converted to lower energy and low energy wavelengths are up converted to higher energy to improve adsorption by a photovoltaic device.

As an alternative approach to multiple junction solar cells where specific materials are matched to discrete portions of the solar spectrum, conversion works on the principle of moving parts of the spectrum to the wavelength band of a single junction cell. For example it is widely accepted that a single junction, single crystal silicon solar cell has an optimum performance in the wavelength range 500 to 1,100 nm, whilst the solar spectrum extends from 400 nm to in excess of 2500 nm.


Now you need to look at the silexsolar site.
http://www.silexsolar.com.au/silexsolar_australian_solar_technology.html

the graph of the fist second and third generation solar is what you need to look at, especially the red "third generation" bit because that is where all of this is heading with Silex the technology today is only at either the green bit (normal mono and multicrystalline silicon wafers) or the yellow bit (Thin Film, less efficient but cheaper)
look at the efficiency and cost projections for first, second, and third generation photovoltaic technology (wafers, thin-films and advanced thin-films, respectively)

Translucent are working with the ADVANCED thin film section the RED bit, and as you can see the green section shows where normal silicon cells are today, silex/translucent are researching now in the red section where they expect to get to 25+% with the UNSW and Suntech eventually by 2012, It is only after they have reached this higher cell efficiency that they will then use their up down conversion to get to the higher regions in that red section because the higher the efficiency the Silex, Suntech, UNSW collaboration achieve the better efficiency they gain with their up down conversion because it is multiplied, 50%, 60% who knows??? but this technology will only be used in solar concentrators so they say, the roof top panels will just use the 25% cell efficiency is what I am hearing.