Logo

Department of Energy award to enable green energy research and pilot production at UAlbany NanoCollege
(Nanowerk News) The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has selected Moser Baer Technologies (MBT), Inc., which has growing operations at the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering's (CNSE) Smart System Technology & Commercialization Center of Excellence (STC) in Canandaigua, as the recipient of a $2.9 million grant to enable green energy research and development designed to accelerate the use of innovative solid-state lighting technologies.
The project, one of just eight funded by DOE nationwide, is designed to reduce the cost of manufacturing high-efficiency Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) lighting panels through the development and deployment of improved processing techniques. MBT will utilize the world's first pilot production facility for OLED panels, located at CNSE's STC, to demonstrate these manufacturing improvements.
MBT is investing more than $17 million at CNSE's STC, acquiring state-of-the-art equipment for the pilot production line, creating more than 50 high-tech jobs by 2013, and further building New York's world-class resources to support clean and environmentally friendly energy technologies.
DOE is providing $15 million to support projects targeting LEDs and OLEDs, which have the potential to be 10 times more energy-efficient than conventional incandescent lighting and can last up to 25 times as long. According to DOE, the projects are focused on advancing core research and development goals, developing new products, and expanding domestic manufacturing capacity to help the U.S. remain competitive in this growing technology market.
U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer said, "This is a smart investment in a cutting-edge facility that is creating good-paying private-sector jobs and bringing a new employer to the region. I've championed the STC Center of Excellence from its earliest days because of its ability to induce new jobs and employers like Moser Baer, and will continue to do everything I can to boost this facility that has been a shot in the arm to our local economy."
David A. Newman, Vice President of Moser Baer Technologies, said, "This funding from the Department of Energy adds significant momentum to our efforts to enable high-volume, low-cost manufacturing capacity for innovative OLED solid state lighting. In utilizing the pilot production line at CNSE's Smart System Technology and Commercialization Center of Excellence, Moser Baer Technologies looks forward to addressing key questions on process control and cost reduction that are critical factors in accelerating both commercialization and manufacturing of OLED lighting panels, with the potential to drive major investments in U.S.-based manufacturing facilities to serve the North American market. "
CNSE Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Alain E. Kaloyeros said, "We congratulate Moser Baer Technologies, a key anchor partner at CNSE's Smart System Technology & Commercialization Center of Excellence, on the receipt of this critical funding from the U.S Department of Energy. Through the partnership between Moser Baer and CNSE's STC, and with the support of the world-class capabilities at CNSE's Albany NanoTech Complex, we look forward to accelerating the development of important clean energy technologies while concurrently building additional assets that will attract new green technology jobs, companies and investment to Western New York."

CNSE Vice President for Disruptive Technologies and CNSE's STC Executive Director Paul Tolley said, "The collaboration between Moser Baer Technologies and CNSE's STC is already paying dividends in enabling and accelerating innovations in Organic LEDs that will lead to more efficient and environmentally friendly lighting technologies. We are excited to continue to build this partnership to further advance green technologies and to spur vital economic impact throughout the region and state."

Integrated into CNSE in a partnership of two of New York's Centers of Excellence following a merger in September 2010, CNSE's STC provides certified cleanroom space for fabrication and packaging of MEMS devices, and leverages CNSE's $7 billion Albany NanoTech Complex, which features 80,000 square feet of Class 1 capable cleanrooms equipped with leading-edge tools and state-of-the-art capabilities to accelerate 21st century nanotechnology innovations.

About Moser Baer Technologies, Inc.

MBT is the U.S.-based subsidiary of Moser Baer India, Ltd., headquartered in New Delhi, and one of India's leading technology companies. Established in 1983, Moser Baer India is the world's second largest manufacturer of Optical Storage media like CDs, DVDs and BluRay discs. They are also a major producer of solar photovoltaic technologies, IT peripherals, consumer electronics, and home entertainment. Moser Baer has a presence in over 92 countries, and services through six marketing offices in India, the US, Europe and Japan. MBT is the company's first U.S. based manufacturing operation and will be the first OLED manufacturing line for lighting in the United States. Moser Baer currently has over 6,000 full-time employees worldwide. For more information, visit www.MoserBaer.com.
About CNSE
The UAlbany CNSE is the first college in the world dedicated to education, research, development, and deployment in the emerging disciplines of nanoscience, nanoengineering, nanobioscience, and nanoeconomics. CNSE's Albany NanoTech Complex is the most advanced research enterprise of its kind at any university in the world. With over $7 billion in high-tech investments, the 800,000-square-foot complex attracts corporate partners from around the world and offers students a one-of-a-kind academic experience. The UAlbany NanoCollege houses the only fully-integrated, 300mm wafer, computer chip pilot prototyping and demonstration line within 80,000 square feet of Class 1 capable cleanrooms. More than 2,600 scientists, researchers, engineers, students, and faculty work on site, from companies including IBM, GlobalFoundries, SEMATECH, Toshiba, Samsung, Applied Materials, Tokyo Electron, ASML, Novellus Systems, Vistec Lithography and Atotech. An expansion now underway is projected to increase the size of CNSE's Albany NanoTech Complex to over 1,250,000 square feet of next-generation infrastructure housing over 135,000 square feet of Class 1 capable cleanrooms and more than 3,750 scientists, researchers and engineers from CNSE and global corporations. For information, visit www.cnse.albany.edu.
About CNSE's STC
The College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering's Smart System Technology & Commercialization Center of Excellence assists small and large companies transition new technologies from concept to manufacturing. STC maintains a 140,000-square-foot facility with over 25,000 square feet of cleanrooms for micro electromechanical systems (MEMS) fabrication and packaging, and works with large and medium-sized companies to help them bring new technologies to market; with small companies ready to transition from prototype and low-volume manufacturing to scalable manufacturing; and with various federal agencies to develop technology solutions to areas of critical national need, including smart prosthetics and improvised explosive device (IED) detection. For more information, visit www.stcmems.com.
Source: CNSE