July 18, 2007 — First Nano, a division of CVD Equipment Corp., has announced the release of its ET2000-SS and ET3000-SS solid source deposition systems designed for producing semi-conducting nanowires.

Single-crystalline nanowires made from materials such as zinc oxide (ZnO) and gallium nitride (GaN) have been the focus of researchers for many years because of their properties as electronic and optoelectronic materials.

First Nano says researchers have demonstrated that using solid sources such as gallium and zinc powders are less expensive and safer than using the conventional metal organic sources used by the current metal organic vapor deposition chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) method for manufacturing LEDs. Previously, production of GaN and ZnO nanowire LEDs and lasers have been possible only on a research scale, First Nano notes, adding that major issues for producing larger samples have been the ability to control the temperature of the solid source (Zn or Ga) and the temperature uniformity of the sample.

First Nano’s solid source deposition systems have been specifically designed to accommodate the typical “vapor-solid” (VS)” or “vapor-liquid-solid” (VLS) method of nanowire deposition. But the new design promises better temperature control of the source material and substrate temperature uniformity by providing distinct temperature zones and separate closed-loop temperature control systems. “The improved temperature control along with the increased capacity of the ET2000- SS and ET3000-SS systems are the first step in bringing these remarkable materials to full production levels,” the company says.