Category Archives: LED Manufacturing

May 7, 2012 — AIXTRON SE’s long-time customer Formosa Epitaxy Inc. (FOREPI) ordered several MOCVD systems: 4 CRIUS II-XL systems in a 19 x 4” wafer configuration and 2 G5 HT reactors in a 14 x 4” wafer configuration. FOREPI is increasing capacity for ultra-high brightness (UHB) gallium nitride (GaN) blue and white light-emitting diode (LED) manufacture.

FOREPI will install the tools between Q3 and Q4 2012 in its new, state-of-the-art facility in the Pin-Jen industrial zone, Taiwan. The LED maker began using AIXTRON’s CRIUS II-XL system a few months ago, and decided to use it for 4” LED wafer capacity increases at the new Pin-Jen fab. FOREPI cited short time-to-production and high performance, throughput and yield for the purchase decision. The epitaxy tools FOREPI chose also offer “seamless process scale-up, excellent uniformity and highest throughput per footprint,” said AIXTRON COO Dr. Bernd Schulte.

The Close Coupled Showerhead (CCS) technology is used in AIXTRON’s current range of reactors. Reagents are introduced into the reactor through a water-cooled showerhead surface over the entire area of deposition. The showerhead is close to the substrates and is designed to enable precursors to be separated right up to the point where they are injected onto the substrates through a multiplicity of small tubes. The reagents are injected into the reactor chamber through separate orifices in a water-cooled showerhead injector, to create a very uniform distribution of reagent gases. Substrates are placed on top of a rotating susceptor, which is resistively heated. The three-zone heater enables adjustment of the temperature profile to provide temperature uniformity over the susceptor diameter.

AIXTRON provides MOCVD production technologies for semiconductor devices, such as LEDs, lasers, transistors and solar cells. For further information on AIXTRON (FSE: AIXA, ISIN DE000A0WMPJ6, DE000A1MMEF7; NASDAQ: AIXG, ISIN US0096061041), see www.aixtron.com.

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May 4, 2012 – BUSINESS WIRE — Sapphire wafers grown using ARC Energy’s Controlled Heat Extraction System (CHES) furnaces for Trinity Material was certified for high-quality light-emitting diode (LED) chip production at two leading LED chip companies.

Trinity Material is ramping up for high-volume sapphire growth to produce large-diameter LED wafers, using ARC Energy furnaces. Trinity Material uses CHES furnaces to produce sapphire for 4” to 8” sapphire wafers.

ARC Energy’s CHES sapphire boule growth method uses the c-axis, instead of growing the boule on the a-axis and extracting wafers on the c-axis. CHES-produced sapphire wafers tested equal to or better than a-axis wafers in LED chip qualification. The company reports no color problems at the boule or wafer levels. CHES c-axis growth increases the light output of LED chips, said Champion Yi, chief operating officer for Trinity Material.

ARC Energy’s proprietary and fully automated CHES technology produces c-axis boules that are reportedly the optimum orientation for LED applications and enable higher materials utilization and lower costs compared with conventional a-axis technologies.

Trinity Material Co., Ltd. is a high-tech company specializing in research, production and sales of LED-grade sapphire substrate material. For additional information about Trinity Material, please visit www.trinity-material.com

The Advanced RenewableEnergy Company, LLC (ARC Energy) provides highly automated and efficient sapphire crystal growth and processing systems to supply LED wafers. For additional information about ARC Energy, please visit www.arc-energy.com.

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May 1, 2012 — Showa Denko K.K. (SDK) will transfer 70% of its gallium-nitride (GaN)-based blue light emitting diode (LED) chip business into a new company, tentatively named TS Opto Co. Ltd, with Toyoda Gosei Co. Ltd.

The joint venture (JV) will be established by December 2012, in Ichihara City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. The JV partners already collaborate. The new company will expand overall supply capacity, and achieve synergies in R&D for improved brightness and production efficiency with GaN LEDs. Toyoda Gosei will own 70%; SDK 30% of TS Opto.

SDK produces and sells LEDs based on aluminum-gallium-indium-phosphide (AlGaInP), gallium-arsenide (GaAs), gallium-phosphide (GaP), and GaN. Learn more at http://www.sdk.co.jp/english/.

Toyoda Gosei develops and markets GaN-based LEDs.

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April 27, 2012 — Lumichip Limited, a light-emitting diode (LED) manufacturer, expanded its commercial operations in Finland and opened a new development center in Espoo, Finland. The new development and customer service center are at the Micronova Building, Otaniemi campus, part of the Finnish high technology development cluster in Espoo, where global technology companies and research institutions such as VTT and Aalto University operate.

“Lumichip has an increasing client base in Europe and Scandinavia,” noted Dr. Juha Rantala, chairman of the Lumichip group. Lumichip’s new global commercial service center will support all technical aspects and product sales for LED customers.

The company’s investments in Finland also include research, from basic LED component to advanced light engine technology design, and production of custom-designed LED light systems. “Our chip and package design and manufacturing will continue in Asia, but we wish to leverage the leading edge electronics and systems development expertise available in Finland into our new products and services,” Dr Rantala said.

Lumichip’s new European Micronova site is within the Finland National Research Infrastructure for micro- and nanotechnology and its modern facilities include 2600m2 of cleanrooms and processing lines for silicon CMOS, MEMS, III-V optoelectronics and various thin film devices. The available technologies and expertise of the center will be part of Lumichip’s technology roadmap for better LED devices and systems with intelligence, reliability and cost efficiency.

Learn more at www.lumichip.com.

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April 27, 2012 — MEI makes batch immersion equipment for cleaning, etching, and developing microelectronics wafers, including silicon and gallium arsenide, as well as process control equipment and automation software. The PVC materials used to make process tools influence tool performance, safety in the fab, and chip quality. Semiconductor and solar are two of the most materials-/contamination-sensitive manufacturing sectors. MEI uses Vycom Flametec PVC-C for chemical rinse tanks and other wafer-contacting elements of its process tools, reducing tool-based contamination and protecting fab workers.

Figure 1. The dual robots of the MEI Advancer Gemini, dual robot semi-auto wet bench.

Many MEI wet bench tools take dry wafers and move them — using robotic arms (see Figure 1) — through chemical and rinse tanks, then to an IPA-style dryer. MEI uses Vycom Flametec PVC-C, a fire-retardant, chemical and moisture-resistant material, to build the housing (shell) of its wet process systems, the robotic arm ends, chemical rinse tanks, and conveyances for automated dry-to-dry wet bench acid process immersion tools. “We use some non-4910 material, called Protec, for tanks and valve boxes, but for the bulk of our batch immersion wet benches for acid type process we rely on PVC-C,” said Bill McGinty, MEI operations manager.

Figure 2. MEI’s Advancer Micro semi-automated wet bench. Detail: the back of the Advancer Micro.

Wet process chemicals can be punishing to the equipment and its internal components. Older bench-construction materials were brittle, difficult to weld, and had color matching issues, said McGinty. An inherently clean material, PVC-C is resistant to bacteria, reducing contamination opportunities. It is abrasion resistant and easy to clean, reducing particulate contamination created from internal tool components rubbing together. Tool-created contamination can compromise the wafer bath and enable corrosion or contamination of tool components from wafer-processing chemicals.

Flametec PVC-C is also ANSI FM-4910 compliant, passing the Factory Mutual test for fire propagation and smoke density. Contamination from smoke particulates and toxicity can damage chips and endanger workers in the fab.

To build its automated wet processing systems housings and tanks, MEI starts with 5 x 8 and 5 x 10 PVC-C sheets, using multiple CNC router tables up to 10 feet long to cut and shape them according to designs made in SolidWorks. MEI obtains its PVC-C raw material — tens of thousands of pounds per year — through a stocking program with Vycom’s distributors.

Figure 3. MEI’s flagship MEI Evolution fully automated wet processing system.

Thermoplastic welds must be strong and precise to prevent leaks and contamination in the fab tool. PVC welders complete an apprentice program at MEI to learn timing, technique, pressure, and angle skills. After a year of training, welders are qualified to build the wet plenum — the tank area below the tool where chemicals and water drain — the most sensitive wet bench tool component.

Figure 4. MEI Revolution rotary, semi-auto wet processing system. Photos courtesy of Garry Myers, MEI LLC.

MEI is a semiconductor process tool supplier. The company also develops process control equipment and automation software, and provides field service, repair, and retrofits on used equipment. Learn more at http://meillc.com/semiconductor-wet-benches.

More on preventing tool contamination: Entegris builds advanced filtration and contamination control R&D center for 2X, 1X semiconductor fab

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April 26, 2012 — Semiconductor capital equipment maker OEM Group began shipping a multi-tool order to a major light-emitting diode (LED) manufacturer, including Spray Ozone Tool (SOT) and Spray Acid Tool (SAT) semi-automated batch surface preparation systems from OEM Group’s Cintillio product line.

The wet-chemical processing toolset uses Cintillio’s Enhanced Spray Technology, with up to 6 rows of nozzles. Numerous wafer lots may be processed simultaneously. The tools offer high throughput and reliable wafer-surface wetting with chemical mixtures in 25/50-wafer batch processes. They use a common platform for solvent, acid, and ozone applications. The cabinet footprint is 1.78m², with side access for maintenance.

SOT’s HydroOzone post-ash clean eliminates thousands of gallons of sulphuric acid and hydrogen peroxide, reduces deionized (DI) water consumption by 84%, reduces cycle time and defects, and increases yields, the company reports.

The Cintillio SAT and SOT tools handle both resist strip and organic cleaning post-etch, noted the LED maker, which serves display, backlighting, automotive, and general lighting markets. The systems will support the LED manufacturer’s 150mm production efforts.

The Cintillo line also includes the single- and dual-chamber Spray Solvent Tool (SST) with one, two or three chemical system configurations that accommodate most solvent-based process applications.

OEM Group is a global manufacturer of new and remanufactured semiconductor capital equipment for established markets and emerging technologies. Its LEGENDS technology portfolio is based on exclusive intellectual property acquired from leading semiconductor brands, including: Tegal thin-film etch, Sputtered Films Endeavor, AMS, MRC Eclipse, AGHeatpulse, Varian Sunset, Lam AutoEtch, and Applied Materials/Semitool surface preparation equipment and processes. Its Classics equipment line features recognized brands optimized for new applications and increased productivity. OEM Group also offers foundry services for piezoelectric AlN films, yield optimization, and process and product development and demonstration. Learn more at www.oemgroupinc.com.

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April 23, 2012 – Marketwire — Luminus Devices Inc. unveiled its round light emitting diode (LED) architecture, meeting the circular aperture designs of many optical devices.

The round LED increases system-level efficiency up to 30%. A single LED can replace a 250W conventional lamp. The LEDs can be used for entertainment, medical, retail, machine vision, and other lighting designs.

In fiber-coupled designs, the fiber and optic are round, but “the LED has always been square,” said Chuck DeMilo, global director of product marketing, Lighting Business Group, Luminus. This optical mismatch is resolved with round LEDs, which Luminus says required significant investments in R&D and operational infrastructure.

Also read: LED manufacturers need dedicated toolset and cost savings

The company’s first round LED product will be commercially available in Q3 2012.

Luminus Devices develops and manufactures LED technologies and solutions for the global illumination market. Headquarters and wafer fab manufacturing facilities are located near Boston, MA. For more information, visit www.luminus.com

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April 23, 2012 — Everlight Electronics Co. Ltd. filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Nichia Corp. in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Everlight is seeking enforcement of a patent covering light-emitting diode (LED) manufacturing metallization technology, U.S. Patent No. 6,653,215, “Contact to n-GaN with Au termination,” issued in 2003. Everlight is the exclusive US licensee of the patent, owned by Emcore Corporation.

The patent abstract reads, “A contact for n-type III-V semiconductor such as GaN and related nitride-based semiconductors is formed by depositing Al,Ti,Pt and Au in that order on the n-type semiconductor and annealing the resulting stack, desirably at about 400-600.degree. C. for about 1-10 minutes. The resulting contact provides a low-resistance, ohmic contact to the semiconductor and excellent bonding to gold leads.” Learn more in the US Patent Office (USPTO) file here.

The lawsuit seeks to enjoin Nichia from manufacturing, using, importing, offering for sale, or selling its infringing products in the United States. It also seeks monetary damages. Uses for Nichia’s LEDs being sold in the U.S. that are alleged to infringe on the ‘215 patent include residential lighting products, street lights and spotlights.

Everlight is also asking the US Court to declare two Nichia patents invalid, US Patent Nos. 5,998,925 and 7,531,960, and unenforceable and improperly issued by the USPTO. This would clear Everlight of infringement allegations from Nichia. Those patents cover the use of certain types of phosphors in making white-light LEDs.

Everlight notes that the action is part of an effort to “protect its products and customers from litigation attacks by Nichia.” Nichia has not yet released a statement on the filing.

EVERLIGHT Electronics Co. Ltd. makes High Power LEDs, Lamps, SMD LEDs, LED Lighting Modules, Digital Displays, Opto-couplers and Infrared Components for various applications. Visit www.everlight.com.

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April 20, 2012 — Metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) and molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) represent essentially 100% of the epitaxial tools used in the commercial production of compound or III-V semiconductor devices. “The corresponding combined revenue opportunity for MBE and MOCVD is estimated to be around US $6.1 billion for the 2012-2020 periods,” says Dr Philippe Roussel, business unit manager, Compound Semiconductors at Yole Développement.

Light-emitting diode (LED) manufacturing is by far the single largest application for MOCVD. In 2010 and 2011, the MOCVD market experienced the largest investment cycle in its history driven by a combination of demand for LED-backlit LCD TVs and subsidies by the Chinese central and local governments.

This has put the market into a significant overcapacity situation that could take 12-18 months to absorb. The next investment cycle driven by lighting applications and expected to start in 2013 will be more limited than the previous cycle due to improvements in equipment throughput and yields. Following this cycle, further cost of ownership (COO) improvements offered by the next generation of MOCVD reactors should justify the replacement of 2-generation-old reactors installed during the 2010-2011 boom and drive a last small equipment cycle in the second half of the decade. By then, power gallium nitride (GaN) devices will also represent a substantial upside for reactor makers.

Figure. 2010-2020 annual new epi-reactor sales in units (Including Power GaN – MOCVF, RF GaAs – MBE, RF GaAs – MOCVD, HCPV MBE, HCPV – MOCVD, LED GaAs – MOCVD, LED GaN – MOCVD). SOURCE: III-V Epitaxy Equipment & Applications Market report, April 2012, Yole Développement.

Overall MBE use is heavily driven by R&D systems (>50% of the total market) and laser applications (telecom, industrial, medical, research) that are not covered in this Yole Développement’s report. “For the applications covered in this report, the MBE market will be essentially driven by the continuous growth in the cell phone and wireless applications that are making heavy use of [gallium arsenide] GaAs-based RF components,” explains Dr Roussel. Emerging applications like smart grid and the trend toward increasing connectivity and “intelligence” incorporated in many consumer products will provide further opportunities. However, alternative technologies (Si CMOS, LDMOS, SoS, HR SOI etc.) represent a potential threat and could capture shares of the GaAs RF market and reduce the opportunity for MBE. In addition, MOCVD is making progress in HEMT manufacturing. Highly concentrated photovoltaics (HCPV) however could provide a small potential upside for MBE makers.

Aixtron and Veeco are leading in MOCVD, together representing 96% of the market in 2011. Production MOCVD tools are complex systems. Design and optimization require expertise in multiple fields including flow dynamics, thermodynamics, chemistry, mechanical and electrical engineering. Technological barriers to entry are fairly high. More than 15 emerging players have been identified but so far have been struggling to capture any sizeable share of the market. But the pressure is mounting and established MOCVD makers will need to maintain that technology gap to keep emerging competitors at bay. The main battlefield is that of total cost of ownership. Established MOCVD makers all have technology roadmaps to enable COO reduction of 3X – 4X within the next 5 years through a combination of improved yields, throughputs and precursor utilization efficiency.

For MBE, Riber and Veeco are the only 2 players offering large capacity / large throughput MBE production tools for volume manufacturing. Yole Développement’s analysts expect they will maintain this dominant position. However, there are about 10 other MBE manufacturers offering R&D , pilot or smaller scale production systems that also have a strong presence on the general MBE market (DCA, SVT, Eiko).

The metal organic precursor market will also be essentially driven by LED applications. But MOCVD reactor technology improvements (yield, consumption, wafer size) will lower the amount of TMGa and TMIn needed per cm² of epiwafer.

The 2010 metal organic shortage ended mid 2011 thanks to aggressive capacity expansion by leading suppliers. Further capacity expansion plans from established and emerging suppliers could come online within the next 3 years. “If executed as announced, we expect significant oversupply starting from 2012 that could continue through 2016 and beyond. This situation could put pressure on prices,” explains Eric Virey, senior analyst, LED, Yole Développement. Further MO synthesis technology improvements could provide opportunity for cost reductions. However, the usually volatile prices of raw Indium and Gallium also have a significant impact on cost.

Companies cited in the report:

Acco, Addon, Aixtron, Akzo Nobel, Albermarle, Altatech, Amalfi, AMEC, Anadigic, Applied Materials, Arima, ATMI, ATTO Wonik IPS , Avago, AW SC, AXT, Azur Space, Azzurro, BAE Systems, Bay Zu Precision (BZPC), Black Sand, Bluglass, BluSolar, Boyu, Cambridge Chemicals, CamGan, Century Epitech, CESI, Chemtura, Chi Mei Lighting, China Crystal Technology, Compsolar, Createc, Cree, CV Technology, CVD Equipment Corporation, Cyprium, Daystar Materials, DCA Instruments, Dow Chemical, Dowa Electronics Materials, Eiko, Elmos, Emcore, EMF Semiconductor systems, EpiBlu, EpiGaN, Epilight, Epistar, Epiworks First Nano, Formosa Epitaxy, Freiberger, Fujiepi, Furukawa, GCS, Genesis Photonics, Guangdon Real Faith Semiconductor Equipments, Hitachi Cable, Hittite, Huga, II-V Lab, Infineon, IntelliEPI, International Rectifier, IQE, Javelin, JDSU Quantasol, Jusung engineering, Kopin, Koyo Thermo systems, Lake LED, Laytech, Lextar, LG Electronic ARI, LG Innotek, LG Siltron, LIG-ADP, Luminus Device, M/A-Com, Mantis, MBE Components, Meaglow, Microlink Devices, Mimix Broadband, Mitsubishi chemical, Mitsubishi Electric, Nanomaster, Nata, Neosemitech, NGK Insulator, Nichia, Nitronex, NTT, Omicron, Ommic, Osaka University, Osram, Oxford Instrument, Panasonic, PB Technik AG, Philips Lumileds, Picogiga/Soitec, Plessey, Powdec, Power Integration, Qingdao Jason Electronic, Rfaxis, RFMD, RFMD, Ribber, Rubicon, SA FC, Samsung LED, Sanan, Sandia, Sanken, SEDI, SEMES, Semprius, Seoul Optodevice / Semiconductor, Sharp, Sheng Optical Equipment, Shinetsu, Skyworks, Solapoint, Solar Junction, SPECS, Spectrolab, Spire Semiconductor, Structured Materials Industries, Sumika, Sumitomo SEI, SVT Associate, Sylarus Technologies, Sysnex, Taiyo Nippon Senso, Tanlong Photoeelctric, Tectra, Tekcore, Top engineering, Toshiba, Tosoh FineChem, Toyoda Gosei, Toyota, Transphorm, Triquint, UBE, ULVAC, Umicore, UMS, UP Chemical, Valence Process Equipment, Veeco, VG Semicon, VPE C, Win Semi, Xiamen Powerway, Yangzhou Longvao, Yongsheng Semiconductor Equipment.

Authors: Philippe Roussel, Ph.D leads the Compound Semiconductors, LED,Power Electronics and Photovoltaic departments at Yole. Eric Virey, Ph.D is senior analyst, LEDs, at Yole.

Yole Développement’s report “III-V Epitaxy Equipment & Applications Market,” covers established and emerging epitaxy technology for III-V semiconductors used in several applications. It provides quantifications for tools and wafer starts per application, an in depth analysis of recent technology trends and their impact on cost of ownership and a comprehensive company profile of the main players in MOCVD and MBE business.

Yole Développement is a group of companies providing market research, technology analysis, strategy consulting, media in addition to finance services. Internet: www.yole.fr.

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April 19, 2012 — Gallium arsenide (GaAs) substrate shipments faltered in 2011, owing to weak demand for RF circuits and optoelectronics. Growth slowed from 22% in 2010 to 4% in 2011, hitting $360 million for GaAs. In 2012, GaAs shipments will recover, says Yole Développement, thanks to high-volume handset shipments and balance of capacity in the light-emitting diode (LED) industry.

Figure. GaAs wafer market (volume) by substrate type, and forecast. SOURCE: GaAs Wafer Market and Applications report, Yole, April 2012.

GaAs substrates should reach $650+ million by 2017, creating 11% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in the forecast period, fuelled primarily by increasing GaAs content in handsets and increased penetration of LEDs in general lighting and automotive applications.

RF electronics (ie, power amplifiers, switches) were initially the main market for GaAs wafers, and will be the main market for GaAs in the near term, with the development of sophisticated smartphones, 3G/4G networks, and the increased demand for data communication. New GaAs-based devices are enlarging the material’s market with associated high-volume applications. LEDs and highly concentrated photovoltaics (HCPV) are two such markets for GaAs substrates.

Boosted by LEDs, semiconducting (SC) GaAs substrates will lead growth of the GaAs market. In 2011, semi-inductive (SI) GaAs substrates held ~56% (M$) of the overall GaAs substrate market (SC GaAs held ~44%), a trend that is likely to reverse in the short term, said Pars Mukish, technology & market analyst, LED & Compound Semiconductor at Yole Développement.

LEDs are penetrating TV, signs and displays, and other applications. The high-volume general lighting sector is a “killer application” for LEDs, boosting the SC GaAs substrate market by 2012-2013. Fundamental technology improvements are needed to improve LED efficiency and increase the total amount of light generated per package for LEDs to penetrate this market. Moreover, the automotive industry is also shifting from the use of traditional light sources to LEDs for products such as headlamps and interior lights.

SC GaAs substrate volumes are likely to equal SI GaAs substrate volumes by 2013 due to steady growth of the RF electronics market compared to booming growth of optoelectronic market.

The 2011 earthquake/tsunami in Japan damaged several Japanese manufacturing plants and strongly impacted production capacity of some key GaAs substrate suppliers who lost market shares to the profit of some competitors. Whether these companies will invest to recover operations, reduce operations or exit the business is still unclear. The GaAs wafer industry is evolving and some players have already announced plant expansion in order to gain market share and prepare future growth of the market.

Due to its lower labor cost, China has won all GaAs wafer manufacturing expansion plans, noted Brad Smith, senior analyst, Compound Semiconductor for Yole Développement.

The Yole Développement report, “GaAs Wafer Market & Applications,” presents all applications of GaAs wafer and associated market metrics. It also details GaAs wafer industry, including profile of main players & associated strategies, industrial value chain in 2011, revenues & market shares of key players.

Companies cited in the report: Anadigic, Avago, AWSC, AXT, CCT, Century Epitech, Dowa, Epiworks, Freiberger Compound Materials, GCS, Hitachi Cable, Hittite Microwave, IntelliEPI, Kopin, M/A-Com, Mimix Broadband, Mitsubishi Chemical, Mitsubishi Electric, NeoSemitech, OMMIC, QE, RFMD, Skyworks, Soitec, Sumika, Sumitomo, Electric Device Innovation, Sumitomo Electric Industries, TriQuint, UMS, VPEC, Win Semi, Xiamen Powerway.

Authors: Pars Mukish works at Yole Développement as a Market and Technology Analyst in the fields of LED and Compound Semiconductors to carry out technical, economic and marketing analysis. Brad Smith has 30 years industry experience in both optical and semiconductors in marketing, business development and market research.

Yole Développement is a group of companies providing market research, technology analysis, strategy consulting, media, and finance services. Internet: www.yole.fr.

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