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16 Jul 2025
Los Alamos startup signs exclusive, multi-year agreement with the maker of cadmium telluride solar modules.
UbiQD, the Los Alamos spinout that specializes in cadmium-free quantum dot materials with potential in a variety of optical applications, has signed a new research collaboration agreement and supply deal with the photovoltaics giant First Solar.
The deal follows an initial collaboration that started in 2022, subsequently formalized through an August 2023 joint development agreement ultimately looking to increase the conversion efficiency of First Solar’s energy-generating panels.
Arizona-headquartered First Solar’s panels and modules are based around cadmium telluride materials - unlike the vast majority of the PV industry, which uses silicon.
Turning point for QDs
According to UbiQD the newly extended supply agreement “paves the way for the incorporation of quantum-dot technology into First Solar's thin-film bifacial photovoltaic solar panels”.
It is expected to enable the early adoption of quantum dots in thin-film modules, with the potential for UbiQD to expand production to more than 100 metric tons per year.
UbiQD CEO Hunter McDaniel said in a joint release from the two firms: “This is a turning point for the quantum dot industry with this first high-volume QD supply agreement outside of display[s].
“This partnership showcases how US innovation and manufacturing can deliver differentiated performance especially at a time when making breakthroughs in efficiency and materials is more vital than ever.
“First Solar has been an excellent partner, and together we've demonstrated not just performance benefits, but also the cost-effectiveness and scalability of our materials for solar spectrum optimization.”
UbiQD claims that, when incorporated into solar panel encapsulation, QDs can more than double the bifacial quantum efficiency of light conversion at specific wavelengths, potentially giving adopters a competitive advantage over rival PV manufacturers.
First Solar’s CTO Markus Gloeckler added: “At utility-scale, even incremental gains in bifaciality translate into significant real-world impact on energy yield.
“We're excited about the potential for quantum dot technology to contribute meaningful gains to the performance of our bifacial modules.”
Manufacturing plan
News of the extended supply agreement comes three months after UbiQD said it had raised $20 million in a series B funding round led by California-based Phoenix Venture Partners.
That support is being used to build what is claimed to be one of the highest volume QD manufacturing facilities in the world, with completion due in New Mexico within the coming year.
“The initiative will cement UbiQD's position as the global leader in quantum [dot] technology, and bolster domestic production capacity for this critical nanomaterials technology,” said the startup, which emerged from the Los Alamos National Laboratory’s chemistry department back in 2014.
Based around Earth-abundant elements such as copper, zinc, and sulfur, as well as the less abundant indium, UbiQD’s quantum-dot materials can be formulated to absorb and re-emit fluorescent light at specific wavelengths tailored to individual applications.
One example is the firm’s “UbiGro” formulation to enhance the efficiency of photosynthesis in growhouses, with other uses expected in security inks as well as solar panels.
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