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Konarka shows inkjets may print out the future of solar cells
Mass High Tech: The Journal of New England Technology – Mass High Tech
Executives
at thin film photovoltaic technology developer Konarka Technologies
Inc. report the Lowell-based company has successfully conducted the
first-ever demonstration of manufacturing solar cells by inkjet
printing.Rick Hess, president and CEO of the company, called the
demonstration a “milestone” for the company and an “essential
breakthrough in the field of printed solar cells,” in a statement.Inkjet
printing is a commonly used technique for controlled deposition of
materials in specific locations on a substrate, primarily used to make
flexible electronic circuits. By using the process in the development
of solar cells, the need for “clean rooms” is eliminated, and
manufacturers can work with a number of different substrates, including
plastics, and different colors, according to company officials.Spun out
of the University of Massachusetts Lowell in 2001, Konarka and its
power plastics technology has been one of the most well-funded startups
in the area. The company has secured a total of $105 million in private
financing from a number of investors, including 3i Group, Draper Fisher
Jurvetson, New Enterprise Associates, and Good Energies Investments.
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