Veteran semiconductor executive becomes DayStar’s new CEO

CIGS thin-film start-up DayStar has appointed Magnus Ryde its new chief executive officer and a director of the company's board. DayStar also announced that William Steckel resigned from his positions of CEO and CFO on February 15. Steckel will continue to serve on DayStar's board. Ryde was North American President of the leading semiconductor foundry, Taiwan-based TSMC. He also spent 18 years with KLA-Tencor in various executive roles. DayStar has had a string of executive changes over the past two years.

In welcoming Ryde to DayStar, DayStar chairman Peter Lacey said, "Magnus is an executive possessing a unique combination of skills and experiences that make him the ideal leader for DayStar as the company commercializes its CIGS PV modules. Magnus has extensive experience with world class semiconductor manufacturers and high technology companies."

"I am excited to lead DayStar through the next phase of growth as we commercialize our unique thin-film PV technology," said Ryde. "DayStar has a robust technology roadmap which calls for commercial CIGS PV modules with a conversion efficiency of greater than 13% and less than $0.85 cost per watt at full production scale. There is wide consensus that CIGS is the most promising photovoltaic thin-film platform. DayStar has demonstrated repeatable high-efficiency CIGS with its one-step sputter deposition process, and I am confident in our ability to scale this process and commercialize our product."

The company did not give a reason for the change in CEOs.

Newsletter

Preview Latest Subscribe
We won't share your details - promise!

Publications

  • Photovoltaics International 16th Edition

    Photovoltaics International 16th Edition

    This sixteenth edition of Photovoltaics International marks four years of production of the quarterly journal. As always, our focus is on efficiency and quality improvement and cost reduction in manufacturing. As 2012 rolls along, companies are falling by the wayside due to supply and demand issues, ASP declines and drastic governmental subsidy cuts. A clear picture of 2012 is offered through papers from the likes of TÜV Rheinland, Fraunhofer ISE, SEMI PV Group and EPIA, amongst others.

  • Photovoltaics International Lite, Volume 05 - 2011

    Photovoltaics International Lite, Volume 05 - 2011

    This digital interactive Lite sees Tom Cheyney follow Agua Caliente’s progress on becoming one of first truly utility-scale PV power farms, where 40–50MW (AC) will be commissioned by the end of the year. We also feature one of the world’s largest silicon thin-film PV power plants, Avenal; a report on warnings of the collapse of module prices from Solarbuzz and PI-Berlin presents tips on PV module testing. A print version of this edition will be distributed at Solar Power International 2011 in Dallas, Texas.

  • Manufacturing The Solar Future: The 2012 Production Annual

    Manufacturing The Solar Future: The 2012 Production Annual

    Manufacturing the Solar Future 2012, the second in the Photovoltaics International PV Production Annual series, delivers the next installment of in-depth technical manufacturing information on PV production processes.

Partners

Acknowledgements

Solar Media