Definitive Contract 80NSSC19C0082

Microlink Devices Inc., a minority-owned, Asian-Pacific American small business based in Niles, Illinois, was awarded a $1M firm fixed-price definitive contract by the NASA Shared Services Center on September 25, 2019, for high-volume production of lightweight, multi-junction solar cells using 6-inch gallium arsenide (GaAs) substrates. The contract, designated as a Total Small Business set-aside, carries an ultimate completion date of September 24, 2021, with performance taking place in Niles, Illinois. This award aligns with Microlink's core competency in advanced solar cell technologies and III-V epitaxial materials, leveraging the company's established expertise in designing high-efficiency, lightweight solar solutions for aerospace and defense applications.

The contract represents a continuation of Microlink's successful track record securing federal funding through various Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs with agencies including NASA, the Air Force Research Laboratory, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. The development of multi-junction solar cells on larger GaAs wafers supports NASA's ongoing initiatives in advanced power generation technologies for space missions and related applications, where lightweight, high-efficiency photovoltaic systems are critical to mission success.