Most Read articles – Perovskite solar cells, Orange O-RAN, TSMC

Time once more to read the runes to see which are the five most read articles on ElectronicsWeekly.com, that were written in the last week, via the magical stats of Google Analytics. It’s a chance to see what your peers have been reading.

What are the areas covered this week? There’s Globalfoundries moving its HQ to Malta (New York), EU talks about fabs, Imec’s work on near transparent perovskite solar cells, Orange to exclusively deploy O-RAN from 2025 and TSMC building a huge water treatment plant…

5. GloFo moves HQ from Santa Clara to New York
Globalfoundries is moving its HQ from Santa Clara California to Malta, New York. It has invested more than $15 billion in its Fab 8 Malta fab over the last decade. In 2021, the company is doubling its planned investment to expand global capacity, with $500 million targeted for Malta, NY alone. “I would like to thank Senator Schumer for his steadfast support for GF over the years and his tireless leadership in forging a bipartisan coalition in Congress,” says GloFo CEO Tom Caufield

4. European Fab [Mannerisms]
Tomorrow’s meetings between Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger, TSMC European President Maria Marced and EC Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton should be interesting. The EU has stated its aspiration to make 20% of the world’s ICs and gain the capability to make the most advanced chips and is now looking for ways to achieve it. Options include persuading TSMC, Samsung or Intel to establish foundries in the EU. While these wouldn’t be European-owned production, the EU would presumably count their output as EU-produced, so contributing to the 20% goal.

3. Imec realises 18.6% efficient near transparent perovskite solar cell
Solliance partners TNO, imec/EnergyVille and the Eindhoven University of Technology, realized a 18.6% efficient highly near infrared transparent perovskite solar cell. When combined in a four terminal tandem configuration with an efficient Panasonic crystalline silicon (c-Si) cell or with a Miasolé flexible CIGS cell, delivers new record power conversion efficiencies of 28.7% and 27.0%, respectively. Tandem technology offers a viable and attractive route to increase the efficiency of commercial solar cells and modules.

2. Orange to exclusively deploy O-RAN from 2025
Orange will exclusively deploy O-RAN switchgear from 2025 onwards, says CTIO Michael Trabbia, asserting that Orange wants to “encourage a strong European open RAN ecosystem”. Trabbia reckons O-RAN kit will match the performance and features of traditional vendors’ switchgear in the next two to three years and can already be used in some rural areas. “Open RAN will be important to have more agility and more automation in the network, but the objective is certainly not to attack our existing providers,” he says.”

1. TSMC building huge water treatment plant
TSMC is building a water purification plant in Tainan to come on-stream at the end of the year. The plan follows Taiwan’s worst drought in 50 years. The plant will be for TSMC’s sole use and will process re-used industrial water for its fabs. According to TSMC the plant will be the world’s first such advanced industrial wastewater treatment centre. The intention is that it could eventually supply ultimately nearly half of TSMC’s daily need for water.