Chicago, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/15/2010 -- MicroLink Devices, Inc. (http://www.mldevices.com), a Niles, IL-based semiconductor manufacturer, has been awarded a $2.7 million contract by the United States Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to contribute its research to the development of low-cost, lightweight, and portable photovoltaics (PoP).

The goal of the PoP program is to demonstrate a portable, low-cost, low-mass, flexible and durable solar cell to generate solar energy with a power conversion efficiency comparable to stationary commercial photovoltaic panels, with an eye to developing prototypes that eventually are lightweight and rugged enough for military and aerospace applications.

According to MicroLink’s President and CEO, Dr. Noren Pan, “Our proprietary epitaxial lift off process (ELO) allows for the manufacture of high-efficiency solar cells that are both flexible and lightweight. We appreciate the confidence that DARPA has shown in our ability to contribute to the success of the PoP program.”

About MicroLink Devices, Inc (MLD)
Dr. Pan founded MLD in 2000. The epitaxial wafers manufactured by MicroLink have been an essential component in the high speed communication industries. The company has earned the ISO 9001 Certification for their quality and service practices and has been a federal contractor of transistors, lasers and solar cell projects for the past six years. MLD has collaborated with many other companies’ research and development projects with many of the initiatives becoming widely-used commercial products.

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

Contact: Presidents Advisory Committee
Barb Isaac, Marketing and PR
(630) 306-9323