Rayton Solar

Rayton Solar, Inc. was established in October 2013 by founder and CEO Andrew Yakub, a particle beam physicist. His background includes work at UCLA's Particle Beam Physics Lab, NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab, and founding a prior solar company, ReGen America, Inc. This experience in both solar finance and particle physics shaped Rayton's approach. In 2016, Yakub was recognized on Forbes' "30 under 30" list for Energy.

The company initially focused on revolutionizing solar panel manufacturing. The core of its proposed technology was a patented process using a particle accelerator for slicing silicon wafers. This method aimed to produce extremely thin wafers, around 3-4 microns thick, compared to the industry standard of 200 microns which involves significant material waste from sawing. By dramatically reducing the amount of silicon—a primary cost driver in solar panels—and enabling the use of higher-quality Float Zone Silicon, Rayton aimed to manufacture solar panels that were up to 60% cheaper and 25% more efficient than the market standard. The business model was to supply these lower-cost, high-efficiency wafers to solar cell manufacturers.

Over time, Rayton pivoted its focus from exclusively solar to the broader semiconductor industry. The company adapted its patented ion implantation technology for producing engineered Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) wafers. This strategic shift targeted high-growth markets such as 5G, artificial intelligence, automotive (including RADAR and LIDAR for autonomous vehicles), aerospace, and LEDs. The value proposition remained consistent: using its unique fabrication process to significantly lower the cost of essential semiconductor materials. The process involves implanting protons into a source wafer (like GaAs), bonding it to a cheaper carrier wafer (like sapphire), and then separating a very thin layer, allowing the original expensive wafer to be reused multiple times. The end product is designed to be integrated into existing semiconductor fabrication facilities, reducing material costs for device manufacturers. The company raised approximately $3.83 million in two seed funding rounds in 2015 and 2016 and pursued further capital through multiple equity crowdfunding campaigns. According to Tracxn, Rayton Solar is now considered a deadpooled company.

Keywords: solar manufacturing, particle accelerator, silicon wafer, Gallium Arsenide, GaAs, semiconductor materials, ion implantation, cleantech, Andrew Yakub, thin-film solar, float zone silicon, wafer fabrication, high-efficiency solar, semiconductor manufacturing, cost reduction technology, 5G components, automotive electronics, aerospace semiconductors, LED manufacturing, advanced materials