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Braggone, the optoelectronics materials company based in Oulu, has received multi-million dollar funding from TEKES (The National Technology Agency of Finland) to commercialize its polymer materials, primarily targeting semiconductor and photovoltaics and sell them to a world-wide consumer base. TEKES is the funding agency behind Nokia’s dramatic success in the cell phone market.
With offices located in Oulu as well as London and Hong Kong and China, Braggone is focused on the manufacturing of advanced optoelectronic and information electronic materials and components. Through the development of fundamental materials and advanced process applications, Braggone works closely with its clients to increase their products’ performance in flat panel displays, semiconductors, LEDs and solar cells.
According to the company, the materials produced are used in semiconductors, solar panels and flat panel displays. Braggone did not disclose the amount of funding. Its proprietary technology enables tuning of inorganic-organic polymer material properties to suit specific applications, either coated or printed onto substrates at greater efficiency, lower temperatures, and higher yields. Braggone's technology IP includes four granted patents and another 13 filed. Current materials products can be used in digital displays, semiconductors, digital cameras, photovoltaic panels, LEDs, and memory. The work on semiconductor applications has generated a set of materials, siloxane compounds for silicon containing anti-reflective coatings (ARCs), the company notes in a statement.
“We’ve had great success working in collaboration with chemical companies and equipment manufacturers to fine-tune and optimize the physical and application specific characteristics of these polymers,” commented Yrjö Ojasaar, Braggone, the CEO. “Due to that collaboration and now with the additional funding from TEKES, we are on a rapid path to commercialization, as we can deliver PV manufacturers with increased performance and reduced costs.”
Drawing on this same polymer research, Braggone recently announced a new product line that greatly increases the efficiency of solar cells and allows manufacturing facilities to cost-effectively increase their capacity. The custom designed compounds can dramatically reduce reflection from glass and silicon, and therefore, deliver much more light to the active regions of the solar cell, resulting in higher efficiency.
Ojasaar added: “Our technology and materials for solar cells will make the dream of sub-one euro per peak watt manufacturing costs a reality.’
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