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October 12, 2010

MicroLink Devices awarded Air Force-funded research contract from UES to develop high-efficiency solar panels for the Raven RQ11-B

Chicago, IL - MicroLink Devices, Inc. (www.mldevices.com), a Niles, IL-based semiconductor manufacturer, has been awarded a research contract from UES, a Dayton OH-based science and technology company, to develop high-efficiency, light-weight, flexible solar panels for the Raven RQ11-B (Raven) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).  This research project is funded by the United States Air Force.


The Raven is a lightweight, low-altitude remote-controlled UAV system designed and developed by AeroVironment, which is based in Monrovia, CA.  Developed for the United States Armed Forces, the Raven performs intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) operations.  The Raven is currently being used in several countries. According to Dr. David McCallum, MicroLink’s VP of Marketing, “Our proprietary manufacturing process, epitaxial lift-off (ELO), gives us the ability to offer unique enhancements to the Raven power system that have the potential to dramatically improve the capabilities of the aircraft.”


McCallum adds, “We appreciate the confidence shown in MicroLink.  We believe our ELO process can change how military and general industry manufacturers think about using solar power in their products and systems. The Raven is another example of this.”

 

About MicroLink Devices, Inc
Dr. Pan founded MicroLink in 2000. The epitaxial wafers produced by the company are an essential component in high speed communication devices. The company has earned the ISO 9001 Certification for its quality and service practices, and has been a prime federal contractor on many solar cell, optoelectronics, and electronics projects over the past six years. MicroLink has collaborated on commercial research and development projects with many other companies. The results of these projects have been exploited in widely-used commercial products.

Contact:
MicroLink Devices Inc.
David McCallum, VP of Marketing
(847) 588-3001
dmccallum@mldevices.com