Solantro Semiconductor Raises $10 Million for Solar PV Module Integrated Electronics

Solantro Semiconductor Corp. of Ontario, Canada today announced the completion of its Series A financing in the amount of $10 million (CAD). This funding was led by Black Coral Capital and included participation from Presidio Ventures (a Sumitomo Corporation company), Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) and Export Development Canada (EDC).

Solantro designs, manufactures and markets semiconductor chipsets and reference designs for use within distributed solar photovoltaic (PV) power conversion equipment. Solantro's chipset-based solutions redefine the economic model for PV module manufacturers while providing for higher energy yields and significantly reduced costs, time and complexity associated with PV system design and installation. Distributed, module-integrated, power conversion solutions accelerate the global deployment of solar PV by optimising the economics of PV installations.

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Reaction uses carbon dioxide to make carbon-based semiconductor

A materials scientist at Michigan Technological University has discovered a chemical reaction that not only eats up the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, it also creates something useful. And, by the way, it releases energy.

Making carbon-based products from carbon dioxide is nothing new, but carbon dioxide molecules are so stable that those reactions usually take up a lot of energy. If that energy were to come from fossil fuels, over time the chemical reactions would ultimately result in more carbon dioxide entering the atmosphere—defeating the purpose of a process that could otherwise help mitigate climate change.

Professor Yun Hang Hu's research team developed a heat-releasing reaction between carbon dioxide and Li₃N that forms two chemicals: amorphous carbon nitride, a semiconductor; and lithium cyanamide, a precursor to fertilizers.

"The reaction converts carbon dioxide to a solid material," said Hu. "That would be good even if it weren't useful, but it is."

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Saratoga will host global semiconductor industry group

Executives of global semiconductor companies will be in Saratoga County on May 24-25 to make trade policy recommendations to their governments and set environmental goals.

The World Semiconductor Council is hosting its 16th annual meeting at the Saratoga Hilton at City Center, the Canfield Casino and TEC-SMART in Malta. It is expected to draw 100 attendees from the semiconductor industry.

The council is a coalition of semiconductor associations from the United States, China, Europe, Japan, Korea and Taiwan.

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Semiconductor ETF Experiences Big Inflow

Looking today at week-over-week shares outstanding changes among the universe of ETFs covered at ETF Channel, one standout is the Semiconductor ETF where we have detected an approximate $58.1 million dollar inflow — that’s a 19.7% increase week over week in outstanding units (from 9,370,937 to 11,220,937). Among the largest underlying components of SMH, in trading today Intel Corp is up about 0.6%, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. is off about 1%, and Texas Instruments Inc. is lower by about 0.8%.

Looking at the chart above, SMH’s low point in its 52 week range is $29.21 per share, with $36.17 as the 52 week high point — that compares with a last trade of $31.32. Comparing the most recent share price to the 200 day moving average can also be a useful technical analysis technique.

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New Industries To Bolster Local Semiconductor Segment

LED lighting, smart grids, new energy and LTE communication are expected to boost China’s semiconductor production value beginning this year.

Emerging industries will steer developments in China’s semiconductor industry beginning this year. For a start, makers are looking at a 4 percent increase in production value from LED lighting, smart grids, new energy and LTE communication. Smartphones and TVs, panel computers, cloud computing, electric vehicles and personal medical electronics are also expected to drive demand.

Suppliers expect to benefit from the spreading global adoption of diode-based illumination as the “green” replacement for traditional incandescent technology. They are counting on the legislative action in the US, Europe, Japan, Australia and even China to accelerate the shift.

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