MicroLink picks Solstice system for UAV solar cells

The Solstice is a fully-automated 8-chamber system with up to 75-wph throughput, which MicroLink will use for electroplating of semiconductor-based solar cells for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and space satellites. In a joint press release, MicroLink Devices President and CEO Dr. Noren Pan said, "We were especially interested in the Solstice's high-speed automation and its ability to maximize control and uniformity of our electroplating processes. Compared with our previous wet bench processing, the new Solstice will enable us to control the electroplating process much more precisely and maintain tighter consistency week to week across production runs. This is critical for achieving the high reliability required for solar cells that power unmanned aerial vehicles and satellites." ClassOne Group CEO Byron Exarcos said, "ClassOne is proud to be working with MicroLink on this important, leading-edge program," said Exarcos. "And it's more than just supplying equipment, because our depth of experience in automated wet processing also enables us to assist MicroLink in setting up and optimizing their next-generation processes. Partnering with our customers in this way allows us to more deeply understand their objectives and achieve more effective solutions using the Solstice." ClassOne Technology is a private company founded in 2013 and based in Kalispell, Montana.