Intevac Donates Laser System for Solar Cell Manufacturing This past summer Intevac generously donated a laser system to Professor Ferekides’ research group who are developing a novel process for the manufacture of solar cells. The system valued at ~$25,000 will be utilized for the development of an advanced high throughput solar cell manufacturing process. The project is funded by the Bay Area Photovoltaics Consortium (BAPVC) - a Department of Energy sponsored program. Intevac, Inc. , founded in 1991, is headquartered in Santa Clara, California and has two businesses: Equipment and Photonics. They are a leader in the design, development and manufacturing of highproductivity process equipment solutions for both the hard drive and solar cell markets. In Photonics, Intevac is a leader in the development and manufacturing of leading-edge, high-sensitivity imaging products and vision systems for the defense markets.
Faculty Spotlight - Dr. Arash Takshi Dr. Arash Takshi, Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering, was awarded the Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award at the Provost’s 2013 Faculty Honors and Awards Reception held on November 26, 2013. The Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award recognizes excellence, innovation and effectiveness in teaching in our undergraduate programs. Dr. Takshi’s primary research interest is in the field of renewable energy.
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Specifically he is interested in research on bio/organic solar cells and is a faculty affiliate in the Clean Energy Research Center at USF. In his opinion, “Employing new materials can push the limits in solar cells, beyond to what silicon technology can offer. Furthermore, using emerging materials, new devices with special features can be developed to address some of the existing challenges in the application of renewable energy.”