5N Plus Secures Pentagon Investment to Increase Solar Cell Material Production

The Department of Defense is partnering with a contractor to improve the production of space-qualified materials for solar cells.

On Tuesday, the Pentagon announced that it tapped the expertise of semiconductor manufacturer 5N Plus to produce the solar cell materials under the Defense Production Act investment program. The contractor will produce germanium wafers and semiconductor substrates for use in ultra-high-efficiency photovoltaic solar cells, SpaceNews reported.

Laura Taylor-Kale, assistant secretary of defense for industrial base policy, said that with space capabilities increasingly showing their importance to protecting national security, investing in a reliable ecosystem will help ensure the viability of the domestic defense industrial base for space-qualified germanium wafers.

The investment program was established to strengthen critical supply chains and improve domestic manufacturing capabilities.

Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense is one of the beneficiaries of the initiative. In March, it secured a $11.7 million contract from the Department of Defense to increase its production of printed circuit boards.