Chicago, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/07/2010 -- MicroLink Devices, Inc. (http://www.mldevices.com), a Niles, Illinois-based semiconductor manufacturer and a leader in the development of high-efficiency, lightweight solar cells, announced that it has placed an order with AIXTRON AG (http://www.aixtron.com) for a 2800G4 HT MOCVD reactor, which will be used for the production of solar cells and heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs).

The MOCVD system will be shipped within the next 2-3 quarters and will be installed in MicroLink’s state-of-the-art production facility in Niles, Illinois. The order is funded in part by a grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), as part of its role in the Renewable Energy Production Program of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Dr. Noren Pan, President of MicroLink Devices, comments: "We have had a good relationship with AIXTRON for many years, and this order is a centrepiece in our expansion program to satisfy the mandate of the DCEO grant. The G4 will give us the opportunity to significantly expand production of solar cells that will be fabricated using our proprietary epitaxial lift-off (ELO) process.”

About MicroLink Devices
Dr. Pan founded MicroLink Devices in 2000. MicroLink has specialized in the growth of epitaxial structures that are used to make the high performance HBTs and power amplifiers that are essential to the high speed communications industry. The company has earned ISO9001 Certification for its quality and service practices. Over the last six years, MicroLink has been a prime federal contractor on projects to develop solar cells, detectors, lasers, and high-speed transistors. MicroLink Devices has also collaborated with many other companies on research and development projects, the results of which have become widely-used commercial products.