Business briefs

06 May 2005

Including news from Osram Opto Semiconductors, InPhase Technologies, the US Display Consortium and more.

•  Konarka Technologies, US, has received a $1.6 million contract from the US Army to develop products based on its polymer solar cell technology. The deal includes orders for battery chargers, self-powered sensor systems and tents. The contract will also help Konarka to perfect its ability to make solar cells with a camouflage patterned.

•  Osram Opto Semiconductors of Germany has commenced legal action against Citizen Electronics of Japan at Dusseldorf Regional Court. The complaint concerns white LEDs featuring a color-conversion technology that Osram has patented. Osram alleges that Citizen is infringing its patents by importing and selling certain white LEDs in Germany.

•  Bayer MaterialScience, Germany, has teamed up with InPhase Technologies, US, to develop polymer raw materials for the production of high-capacity optical storage media. Bayer has invested $5 million in InPhase in return for equity in the firm. The German firm has also acquired a license to use the research results and InPhase's holographic know-how in applications other than optical storage.

•  General Atomics has appointed Lockheed Martin as the weapon system integrator on DARPA's High Energy Liquid Laser Area Defense System (HELLADS) project. The aim of the project is to develop a solid-state laser weapon that is an order of magnitude lighter than current high-energy laser systems.

•  The US Display Consortium, a public/private partnership developing equipment and materials for next generation flat panel displays, has awarded a research contract to Dow Corning. The $2.39 million project will study hole-injection materials used in high-efficiency OLEDs for high-definition displays.

•  Cambridge Display Technology (CDT), UK, is embarking on a two-year program to develop top-emitting polymer OLEDs based on a transparent cathode. CDT says it is establishing a consortium of display companies to share both the cost and results of the program. It adds that a major Asian display firm has already signed-up.

•  Edmund Optics is expanding its operations in China with a 2400 ft² factory in Shenzhen, according to On Target Media. The plant will focus on optical design and cleanroom assembly and is expected to be fully operational later this year. The firm already has a small facility in Shanghai, China, and significant manufacturing capability in Singapore.