AUA Public Relations Office
PRESS RELEASE
June 29, 2005
American University of Armenia
40 Marshal Baghramian
Yerevan 375019 ARMENIA
Telephone: (37410) 512-522
Fax: (37410) 270-859; 512-512
Contact: Diana Manukyan
E-mail: [email protected]
US Department of Energy Awards Armenian Scientists Proliferation Prevention Grant
Dr. Kenell Touryan, Vice President of Resarch and Develpoment at
the American University of Armenia (AUA) and Dr. Artak Hambarian,
Associate Director of AUA's Engineering Research Center (ERC), are
announcing a special grant for proliferation prevention that the US
Department of Energy has awarded to a team of scientists at the AUA,
the Yerevan Physics Institute, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory
(NREL) in Golden, Colorado, and an optico-physics Institute in Moscow.
The proposal calls for the development of a high-speed laser scanning
system for the detection of defects in solid-state wafers, including
solar cells. If successful, the system will accelerate the rate at
which the quality of the wafers is tested in assembly-line production,
by a factor of 10 to 100. Solid-state wafers are very thin slices
of solid-state materials (30cm x 30cm x 800 micrometers thick)
of very high purity that are used in many solid-state devices and
in the manufacturing of solar cells. Any defects in these wafers
will degrade the quality of the device produced from these wafers.
The market for such an instrument is huge. The USDOE has approved
the project at the funding level of $800,000.
"As manager of the Initiatives for Proliferation Prevention (IPP)
projects at NREL, for the US Department of Energy, I have been able to
obtain funding for several institutes and universities in Armenia, in
high technology. The high-speed laser-scanning project is an ambitious
project. When successfully completed, it will have wide commercial
application in the semiconductor industry. Royalties received form
the sale of this equipment can provide sustainable income to the
participating institutes," said Dr Kenell Touryan.
According to Dr. Artak Hambarian, Principal Investigator at AUA
for this project, if successful, this project could be a start for
revitalizing a direction in design and construction of semiconductor
test equipment that will help to integrate Armenia into a modern high
tech pattern in a very competitive way. The team at the Yerevan Physics
Institute will be led by Director, Dr. Asatryan. Dr. Touryanof AUA,
will have general oversight along with Dr. Dave Kline at NREL, both
of whom are managers of all IPP projects at NREL, including those
awarded to various institutes in Armenia.
----------------------------------------
The American University of Armenia is registered as a non-profit
educational organization in both Armenia and the United States
and is affiliated with the Regents of the University of California.
Receiving major support from the AGBU, AUA offers instruction leading
to the Masters Degree in eight graduate programs. For more information
about AUA, visit www.aua.am.
PRESS RELEASE
June 29, 2005
American University of Armenia
40 Marshal Baghramian
Yerevan 375019 ARMENIA
Telephone: (37410) 512-522
Fax: (37410) 270-859; 512-512
Contact: Diana Manukyan
E-mail: [email protected]
US Department of Energy Awards Armenian Scientists Proliferation Prevention Grant
Dr. Kenell Touryan, Vice President of Resarch and Develpoment at
the American University of Armenia (AUA) and Dr. Artak Hambarian,
Associate Director of AUA's Engineering Research Center (ERC), are
announcing a special grant for proliferation prevention that the US
Department of Energy has awarded to a team of scientists at the AUA,
the Yerevan Physics Institute, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory
(NREL) in Golden, Colorado, and an optico-physics Institute in Moscow.
The proposal calls for the development of a high-speed laser scanning
system for the detection of defects in solid-state wafers, including
solar cells. If successful, the system will accelerate the rate at
which the quality of the wafers is tested in assembly-line production,
by a factor of 10 to 100. Solid-state wafers are very thin slices
of solid-state materials (30cm x 30cm x 800 micrometers thick)
of very high purity that are used in many solid-state devices and
in the manufacturing of solar cells. Any defects in these wafers
will degrade the quality of the device produced from these wafers.
The market for such an instrument is huge. The USDOE has approved
the project at the funding level of $800,000.
"As manager of the Initiatives for Proliferation Prevention (IPP)
projects at NREL, for the US Department of Energy, I have been able to
obtain funding for several institutes and universities in Armenia, in
high technology. The high-speed laser-scanning project is an ambitious
project. When successfully completed, it will have wide commercial
application in the semiconductor industry. Royalties received form
the sale of this equipment can provide sustainable income to the
participating institutes," said Dr Kenell Touryan.
According to Dr. Artak Hambarian, Principal Investigator at AUA
for this project, if successful, this project could be a start for
revitalizing a direction in design and construction of semiconductor
test equipment that will help to integrate Armenia into a modern high
tech pattern in a very competitive way. The team at the Yerevan Physics
Institute will be led by Director, Dr. Asatryan. Dr. Touryanof AUA,
will have general oversight along with Dr. Dave Kline at NREL, both
of whom are managers of all IPP projects at NREL, including those
awarded to various institutes in Armenia.
----------------------------------------
The American University of Armenia is registered as a non-profit
educational organization in both Armenia and the United States
and is affiliated with the Regents of the University of California.
Receiving major support from the AGBU, AUA offers instruction leading
to the Masters Degree in eight graduate programs. For more information
about AUA, visit www.aua.am.