Category Archives: LEDs

March 19, 2012 — Semiconductor fab equipment supplier SUSS MicroTec launched the RCD8 manual resist coat and develop platform for R&D and low-volume use in micro electro mechanical system (MEMS), semiconductor packaging, light-emitting diode (LED) and other applications.

The RCD8 can convert from a spin coater, with the proprietary GYRSET closed cover coating technology, to a spray developer. The convertion takes minutes. Install options range from basic manual operation to semi-automated to puddle & spray developer.

The processes developed on the manual RCD8 are easily transitioned to a SUSS MicroTec production tool.

The RCD8 combines SUSS’ multiple dedicated Delta Series tools that served specific applications in MEMS, advanced packaging, and LED fab or the R&D market. All necessary coating and developing processes for these applications are incorporated.

The GYRSET rotating closed cover coating option can be integrated into the RCD8 spin coating module to widen the process window and reduce consummables use on various photoresists and applications. GYRSET allows square substrates and pieces to be coated with a homogenous resist thickness.

Various options can be added in the field to adapt with process changes. The RCD8 hosts a large variety of available chucks and configurations.

SUSS MicroTec, listed on TecDAX of Deutsche Boerse AG, is a leading supplier of equipment and process solutions for microstructuring in the semiconductor industry and related markets. For more information, please visit http://www.suss.com.

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March 19, 2012 – BUSINESS WIRE — CVD Equipment Corporation (Nasdaq:CVV) purchased a new facility in Central Islip, NY, doubling the space for its chemical vapor deposition (CVD), gas control, and other wafer fab equipment assembly.

The new facility also unifies CVD Equipment Corp.’s Application Laboratory in one location, noted Leonard Rosenbaum, president and CEO, who said that the new space will enable "multiple growth opportunities." The Application Laboratory will focus on nano materials manufacturing, pilot/demo lines for nano materials usage in macro-materials and sub-assemblies, and technology transfer/partnerships around nano materials. These product development efforts will be marketed through CVD Materials Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary.

CVD Equipment Corporation (NASDAQ:CVV) makes equipment for the development, design and manufacture of advanced electronic components, materials, and coatings. Customers research, design and manufacture semiconductors, solar cells, graphene, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), nanowires, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS), smart glass coatings, battery and/or ultra capacitor materials, medical coatings, industrial coatings and equipment for surface mounting of components onto printed circuit boards (PCBs).

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March 19, 2012 – BUSINESS WIRE — Wafering tool supplier Silicon Genesis (SiGen) developed its second-generation production system for fabricating thin-silicon solar wafers, as well as high-brightness light-emitting diode (HB-LED), and 3D semiconductor packaging wafers. The system tailored for silicon, GaAs, germanium, SiC, GaN and sapphire materials.

The new GenII PolyMax system targets high volumes, aiming to replace wire wafer saws with a kerf-free wafering tool. The system creates thinner wafers than are possible with wire-based slicing. The proton beam-induced wafering design was created over 6 years with numerous equipment and solar cell partners.

SiGen has made free-standing 20um, 50um, 85um, 120um, and 150um of 125mm and 156mm industry standard square kerf-free monocrystalline silicon solar-cell wafers.

SiGen’s beam-induced wafering technology is capable of supplying thin high-quality materials to HB-LED and packaging/3D structures sectors, at a lower price point than competitive technologies, and with less waste, the company reports.

Silicon Genesis Corporation (SiGen) provides engineered substrate process technology for the semiconductor, display, optoelectronics, and solar markets. For more information on Silicon Genesis, visit http://www.sigen.com.

Also read: Silicon wafers sliced to 10% conventional bulk with Hyperion 3

March 16, 2012 — The global market for power semiconductors used in light-emitting diode (LED) lighting is forecast to reach over $3 billion in 2016, according to IMS Research.

Rapid LED lighting adoption, driven by energy awareness and government support, will lead to a $3+ billion power semiconductor market by 2016, shows "Opportunities for Power Components in LED Lighting," an IMS Research report. More than half of this market will come from retrofit LED lamps, which will contribute to more than $2 billion of the 2016 outlook.

The LED lamp market is projected to drive over $1.5 billion of AC-DC and DC-DC controllers and low power MOSFETs (used in solutions that use a controller with an external FET) in 2016. The expanding range of available lamps with varying electronics design, requirements and specifications are driving opportunities power semiconductor manufacturers. LED lighting systems require complex electronics, noted Ryan Sanderson, report co-author and senior market analyst. Most designs require power electronics experise, something many suppliers don’t currently have in-house.

LED luminaires present a huge opportunity for power semiconductor manufacturers.  One of the largest projected LED lighting markets in 2016 is high-power (>60W) LED luminaires for street, industrial, and other lighting applications. These applications will drive a power discrete market of more than $1 billion by 2016, largely power MOSFETs and rectifiers sold to LED luminaire makers and merchant power supply manufacturers. Some of the largest LED lighting manufacturers can design and manufacture power circuitry in-house, but even these companies need the added knowledge and expertise of the power semiconductor industry, said report co-author and market analyst Jonathon Eykyn.

A large portion of the power supply opportunity in LED lighting (particularly in LED lamps) will be absorbed by these companies as they become more vertically integrated. However, the power semiconductor opportunity will likely remain separate and addressable to all power semiconductor manufacturers. Eykyn added, “The opportunity is likely to increase further as manufacturers begin to add higher levels of intelligence to their LED lighting products, offering additional functionality to the consumer and increasing energy efficiency.”

“Opportunities for Power Components in LED Lighting” includes analysis of 8 power semiconductor products in 13 LED lighting applications. IMS Research is a leading independent supplier of market research and consultancy to the global electronics industry. Access reports at http://imsresearch.com.

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March 16, 2012 — AIXTRON SE sold 5 multi-wafer metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) systems to a new customer, Huaian Aucksun Optoelectronics Technology Ltd., China. The tools will grow materials for high-brightness light-emitting diodes (HB-LEDs). 

The order includes 2 AIX 2600G3 IC reactors in 49 x 2" wafer configurations, and 3 AIX2800G4 reactors in 60 x 2" set ups. The tools boast high uniformity and throughput. Huaian Aucksun Optoelectronics Technology Ltd., China placed the order in Q1 2012, with delivery slated for Q2 2012. AIXTRON will have a local support team install and commission the new reactors in the company’s state-of-the-art cleanrooms in Huaian, China.

AIXTRON opened a MOCVD training center in China, based in Suzhou, this week, with a goal of improving LED manufacturing in the country.

Developing and producing LED wafer materials with AIXTRON MOCVD is "an exciting new venture" for Aucksun Opto, said Kai Chen, GM of Aucksun Opto, noting that AIXTRON’s local service team will assist in internal efforts to ramp up production. Aucksun Opto also has plans to produce HB-LEDs based on gallium nitride (GaN) materials, which AIXTRON will support as well.

Huaian Aucksun Optoelectronics Technology Ltd. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Jiangsu AUCKSUN Co., Ltd., formerly known as Jiangsu Aucksun Metal Co., Ltd. It primarily serves information technology (IT) manufacturing companies.

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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March 16, 2012 — AIXTRON SE (FSE:AIXA, NASDAQ:AIXG) opened a training and demonstration center at SINANO – the Suzhou Institute for Nanotechnology and Nanobionics in China. The center will bring metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) knowledge to future semiconductor and light emitting diode (LED) manufacturing professionals. The center is located in the Suzhou Industrial Park.

AIXTRON plans to combine industrial and institutional research at the MOCVD center, offering high-quality training on the latest microelectronics manufacturing processes. Training courses will use AIXTRON’s latest generation CRIUS II-XL and AIX G5 HT systems in a production cleanroom environment, laboratories, and classroom training facilities that occupy a total area of 350sq.m. The goal is better MOCVD system utilization times and higher yields through operational efficiency, maintenance routines, process optimization and fab management, said Dr. Nicolas Muesgens, director of the AIXTRON Training and Demonstration Center. The Suzhou center will also pay special attention to operational health and safety issues and to environmental protection, adhering to and promoting German, international, and Chinese product-safety and waste-management standards.

A cooperative agreement between AIXTRON and SINANO will facilitate the full process and characterization of LEDs. The goal is to improve the quality, effeciency, and cost of China’s domestically produced LEDs, aligned with the government’s goal of global LED leadership, said a spokesperson for SINANO. Chinese customers will gain deep process knowledge at the new center. Applications to attend a training course can be submitted at www.aixtron.com/Service/Training.

China is encouraging LED lighting at the national and regional level, noted AIXTRON president and CEO Paul Hyland. The center will bring the "very latest AIXTRON technologies" to customers in this field, along with high-quality training for LEDs and other nanotechnologies such as gallium nitride on silion (GaN-on-Si) development, he said.

An opening ceremony welcomed the German Consul General in China, a representative of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), many AIXTRON customers, and university and research institute partners from across Greater China.

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.

Visit the new LEDs Manufacturing Channel on ElectroIQ.com!

March 15, 2012 — SAFC Hitech, a member of the Sigma-Aldrich Group, opened a multi-million dollar (US) 270000sq.ft. expansion at its facility in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, increasing capacity for high-quality Trimethylgallium (TMG), Triethylgallium (TEG) and Trimethylindium (TMI) precursor production serving high-brightness light-emitting diode (HB-LED) manufacturers.

The site will also produce atomic layer deposition (ALD) and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) precursors for silicon semiconductor fabs and offer regional transfilling capability and technical service and support. SAFC Hitech will transistion its existing Taiwan operations to the new Kaohsiung facility.

The site hosts integrated inert atmosphere transfilling stations, state-of-the-art analytical instrumentation for the detection of ultra-low metallic and oxygen-containing contaminants and dedicated cylinder preparation and packaging areas. The site is ISO 9001 certified for quality, with ISO 14001 certification for safety and environmental protocols in the works.

Taiwan is "a strategic regional hub" for SAFC Hitech’s ultra-high-purity metal organic and silicon precursors for thin film deposition during micro/optoelectronics production. The rise in demand for LEDs and particularly HB-LEDs is driving increased collaboration with customers in the Asia-Pacific region, said Dr. Geoff Irvine, VP of Marketing and Business Development at SAFC Hitech. The Kaohsiung site can handle and characterize highly specialized laboratory-scale chemicals and features a dedicated customer support center.

Also read: Taiwan’s LED makers’ and packagers’ 2011 results

The site opening ceremony was attended by Kaohsiung City Mayor Chiu Chen, and senior company executives: Rakesh Sachdev, Sigma-Aldrich president and CEO; Gilles Cottier, SAFC president; and Philip Rose, SAFC Hitech president.

SAFC Hitech is a chemistry company serving microelectronics and optoelectronics manufacturing sectors. Further information can be found at http://www.safchitech.com.

SAFC is the custom manufacturing and services business unit of Sigma-Aldrich Corporation, a leading Life Science and High Technology company. Internet: www.sigma-aldrich.com.

Visit the new LEDs Manufacturing Channel on ElectroIQ.com!

March 14, 2012 — MATHESON debuted the Lasso System, a customer-centric supply chain and inventory management system that can monitor the location and operating status of gas products and other highly valued assets in the company’s REAL-Time Gas and Asset Management System.

The Lasso System uses radio frequency identification (RFID) and pressure monitoring technology to monitoring the inventory, movement and operating pressure of compressed gas cylinders. Lasso reports critical parameters of interest to compressed gases users, with gas cost and usage analytics generation to facilitate gas management decisions and costs management.

Also read: 300mm fabs and the role of bulk specialty gas supply and Metrology-aided gas purification development

MATHESON supplies industrial, medical, specialty and electronic gases, gas handling equipment, high performance purification systems, engineering and gas management services, and on-site gas generation. The company is the largest subsidiary of the Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corporation Group, Japanese supplier of industrial gases. Learn more at www.mathesongas.com.

March 14, 2012 — Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment Inc. (AMEC) uncrated the Primo TSV200E compact, ultra-high-productivity etch tool for 200mm wafer-level packaging (WLP), micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS), light-emitting diodes (LEDs), CMOS image sensors (CIS), and other 3D IC applications.

The tool boasts a dual-station chamber architecture for faster throughput with single- or dual-wafer processing, integrated pre-heat stations, and a gas delivery design tailored for better uniformity and higher etch rates of through silicon vias (TSVs) in semiconductor die. A de-coupled high-density plasma source and bias increase etch rates at lower pressures and enable process control over a wide process window. This configuration can be extended to accommodate up to three dual-station process modules. An RF pulsing bias capability eliminates profile notching.

Also read: AMEC reactive ion etch tool enables sub-28nm nodes

AMEC claims a 30% capital-efficiency premium over other available TSV etchers. The system is flexible to etch a wide range of wafer-level features, said Tom Ni, VP at AMEC, noting a "constantly evolving" product mix at manufacturers.

Several Primo TSV200E tools are deployed for production at Q Technology Limited (Q Tech) and JCAP Corp. (JCAP) in China, supporting advanced packaging of semiconductors. 3D semiconductor packaging is "a key component of our technology roadmap, said JCAP president C.M. Lai. JCAP is meeting its product development milestones using the AMEC process modules for TSVs. JCAP has placed a repeat order, Lai noted.

AMEC expects orders soon from Taiwan and Singapore. AMEC notes that strong demand should come from China-based companies.

Development of a 300mm version is underway.

More data on the tool can be found at http://amec-inc.com/products/TSV.php.

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March 14, 2012 — The US Department of Defense (DoD) awarded QD Vision Inc. a $1.38 million/12-month contract for specialized devices based on electroluminescent quantum dots. The program will result in prototype devices that can be tested under real-world conditions, to ultimately be used by US armed forces.

Quantum dot technology developed at QD Vision can be used in display and lighting applications; the DoD is not revealing its specific application/s under this contract. The award combines QD Vision’s "strengths in inorganic chemistry, thin-film deposition and electrical device physics,” said Jason Carlson, president and CEO of QD Vision. Also read: SEMI honors quantum dot research at QD Vision

In August 2011, the DoD Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) awarded QD Vision Inc. $900,000 to advance their QD infrared (IR) materials and deliver two prototype devices over 12 months.

QD Vision is a quantum dot product company that delivers highly differentiated lighting and display solutions. To learn more about QD Vision’s Government Business, visit http://www.qdvision.com/government-contracts.

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