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Welcome to the Materials (GaN, GaAs, etc.), Epi & Equipment channel!

CompoundSemi Online serves the information needs of the compound semiconductor industry and its supply chain with product and market news updates for this rapidly evolving technology. Our "all the news on one page" format, with select channels for specific interests, offer the most efficient news delivery approach in the industry.

If you're looking for LED or Solid State Lighting News...

You're darn right they're part of the compounds, but we're also proud to say that the LED segment has "graduated" and can benefit from publications that are more dedicated to those topics. For news on the broad LED industry, outside of general lighting, along with the materials and technology supply chain, visit LIGHTimes Online. For a higher level view of LEDs in general lighting, you can visit Solid State Lighting Design, which covers packaged "lighting quality" LEDs through subsystems, luminaires and application stories.

Neo-Neon Orders Ten More Aixtron Crius MOCVD Systems for GaN LED Production
LIGHTimes News Staff

September 8, 2010...Neo-Neon International Ltd. of China has ordered ten more Aixtron MOCVD systems for LED production. Neo-Neon is a decorative lighting manufacturer that specializes in flexible LED-based ‘Neon-like’ light replacement products.

Aixtron reports having received the order for ten mor of its Crius 31x2-inch configuration deposition systems from Neo-Neon in the fourth quarter of of 2009. Aixtron will deliver the systems between the third and fourth quarter of 2010. Neo-Neon indicated that the systems will be employed to produce gallium nitride (GaN)-based ultra-high brightness (UHB) blue/green LEDs.

Aixtron says its local support team will commission the new reactors at Neo-Neon's new five-story facility at the mainland China production plant in Guang Dong. LIGHTimes SecondPage members login for more. Guests can view membership details.

Cree Demonstrates High Quality 150-mm Silicon Carbide Substrates
LIGHTimes News Staff

September 3, 2010...Cree of Durham, North Carolina USA, has reported a silicon carbide advance that the company says will help lead to wide scale commercialization of SiC. The company demonstrated high quality, 150-mm SiC substrates with micropipe densities of less than 10/cm2. The current Cree standard for SiC substrates is 100-mm diameter material.

SiC is a high-performance semiconductor material used in the production of a broad range of lighting, power and communication components, including LEDs, power switching devices and RF power transistors for wireless communications. The company contends that the significant size advancement of single crystal SiC substrates to 150-mm can enable cost reduction and increased throughput, while bolstering the continued growth of the SiC industry.

“Cree’s achievement of 150-mm SiC substrates further demonstrates Cree’s leadership in SiC materials technology,” said Dr. Vijay Balakrishna, Cree Materials product line manager. Steve Kelley, Cree chief operating officer, added, “We expect that 150-mm substrates can reduce device cost, boost manufacturing output and expand our product range."

Veeco to be Primary MOCVD System Supplier for Tsinghua Tongfang LED Factory
CompoundSemi News Staff

August 30, 2010...Veeco Intruments reports that Tsinghua Tongfang Company, a Beijing-based division of Tsinghua Holdings Company Limited, has selected Veeco to supply its metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) systems for their new LED factory. Veeco says that Tsignhua accepted the order of the initial systems as part of a planned large multi-tool purchase order booked earlier this month. Wang Lianghai, Vice President of Tsinghua Tonfang commented, "After thorough evaluation of available MOCVD systems at our Beijing LED R&D site, we selected Veeco as our primary supplier for our new production facility in NanTong which is scheduled to be completed by the end of this year. The TurboDisc(R) K465i MOCVD systems were the clear winner in terms of cost of ownership and productivity." He added, "We have an aggressive plan to ramp production of LEDs primarily to address backlighting demand for TVs, and Veeco's technology, tool performance and customer support best matched our needs."

Bill Miller, Ph.D., Executive Vice President, General Manager of Veeco's MOCVD Operations, commented, "Tsinghua Tongfang has put together an exciting new enterprise, moving from the lighting engineering business directly into the manufacture of LEDs. They have solid financial backing and an experienced technology team, and we are pleased to support their production ramp."

QMC Patents Ruled Invalid in JPSA Laser Lift-Off (LLO) Patent Dispute
LIGHTimes News Staff

August 26, 2010...JP Sercel Associates, Inc. (JPSA) of Manchester, New Hampshire USA, a manufacturer of laser micromachining systems for LED production, reported that the Korean Intellectual Property Tribunal ruled in favor of claimant JPSA and invalidated two of QMC’s Korean patents dealing with scribing and LLO. The invalidated Patents are No. 724540, “Laser Beam transmission system and method of the same and lift-off process method,” and No. 588459, “An adjustable laser beam delivery system and method for forming the same.”  Patent No. 588459 was invalidated on June 23rd, 2010 and Patent No. 724540 on July 8th, 2010.

JPSA alleged that QMC’s patent claims were invalid over various prior art references including JPSA’s Korean Patent No. 0849779, “Method for separating layers of material”, and Korean Patent No. 790644, “System and method for cutting using a variable astigmatic focal beam spot”. 

JPSA’s Chairman, Jeffrey Sercel, stated, “Prior to developing laser systems, QMC was a former Korean sales and service representative of JPSA; therefore, they had key information about our technology and methods. We were surprised and disappointed to find QMC filing for patents already granted to JPSA.  Despite our disappointment, we continue to invest valuable time and money to protect our highly advanced laser technology, and our years of experience and development work has resulted in JPSA’s strong market presence in scribing and LLO of LEDs.”

QMC has already appealed the invalidation decisions. However JPSA says it expects that the Korean Patent Court will agree with the findings made by the Intellectual Property Tribunal on June 23rd and July 8th, 2010.

American Chemical Society Awards Fellowship to Nanomaterials Researcher
LIGHTimes News Staff

August 24, 2010...Rigoberto Advincula was among the 2010 class of American Chemical Society (ACS) fellows that were honored along with 191 other inductees at a ceremony during the annual ACS meeting in Boston. The fellows program was started in 2009 to recognize outstanding contributions to science and the chemistry profession. Advincula is among 13 from Texas who received the honor this year. At 42, Advincula is one of the younger honorees. However, he has already compiled an impressive record as a leading polymer and nanomaterials researcher.

John Bear, fellow chemist and dean of UH's College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics nominated Advincula for the distinction for his work as a renowned scholar and as a mentor to young scientists.

Advincula's research involves the design and fabrication of polymers and nanomaterials and nanocomposites. These new hybrid materials could be used in a variety of applications such as chemical sensors, improved LED display screens, and better controlled energy transfer in solar cells. in previous projects, he and his team have devised new polymer coatings that could improve the brightness and flexibility of display screens on cell phones, PDA's and other devices. LIGHTimes SecondPage members login for more. Guests can view membership details.

Lextar of Taiwan to Adopt 6-inch Epitaxy MOCVD Equipment

August 24, 2010...Lextar Electronics, a Taiwan-based LED chipmaker, will reportedly adopt MOCVD systems for 6-inch epitaxial wafers at the end of 2010, according to an article in Digitimes. After the new MOCVD systems are installed, Lextar may be the first LED chipmaker in Taiwan with such equipment. The switch from 4-inch to 6-inch epitaxial wafers for LED production translates to a lower cost per LED and less unused wafer space. According to the article, Lextar is also expected to ramp up 4-inch MOCVD equipment to 50-60 sets by the end of the year. The company's September capacity is expected to reach 90,000 wafers and 750 million LED chips. At the end of the year the company plans to have a capacity of 130,000 wafers per month and 850 million LED chips. The company points out that many other LED makers in Taiwan are still using 2-inch MOCVD equipment. However, LED producers in Japan, South Korea, and Europe have begun using 6-inch wafers.

Epistar Invests in Oree
LIGHTimes News Staff

August 17, 2010...Taiwan-based LED producer, Epistar has invested in Israeli company, Oree. Oree of Ramat Gan, Israel developed what it refers to as LED planar illumination technology. Oree's solid state light source apparently is thin and flat, and about the size of a credit card. Oree boasts that its light source is ideally-suited for general lighting applications, decorative and architectural lighting, as well as backlighting for LCD panels. Oree notes that it is currently working with select customers in Asia and Europe and expects to begin high-volume production early next year. LIGHTimes SecondPage members login for more. Guests can view membership details.

Crystal IS, Inc. and Asahi Kasei to Jointly Develop Larger Diamter AlN Substrates
CompoundSemi News Staff

August 16, 2010...Crystal IS, Inc., of Green Island, New York USA, a developer of UV-C LEDs has signed a joint development agreement with Asahi Kasei Corp., to create a manufacturing process for larger diameter aluminum nitride (AlN) substrates. The substrates will reportedly be based upon Crystal IS technology.

“Aluminum nitride substrates are a critical component in the fabrication of UVC LEDs for energy efficient water and air sterilization applications,” said Dr. Steven Berger CEO of Crystal IS. “Building on our intellectual property to develop manufacturable large diameter substrates is an important step towards high-volume production and long term growth.” Crystal IS notes that the development will take place at its facility in Green Island, NY. Crystal IS says that the program will run in parallel with its UVC LED activities.

“After a comprehensive study, we found Crystal IS wafer technology the most advanced and suitable for commercialization,” said Masafumi Nakao, who heads Asahi Kasei’s development of new business in compound semiconductors. “To reinforce our commitment to Crystal IS and the technology, we are happy to make a $2 million investment in the company as we assess the long-term market potential of these substrates for LEDs and a number of other high-power applications.”

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