Aixtron SE of Herzogenrath, Germany, reported that Plessey Semiconductors Ltd. of Plymouth, England, has ordered an AIX G5+ C cluster system. Plessey reportedly intends to use the system to expand the production of gallium nitride LEDs manufactured on silicon wafers (GaN-on-Si). Delivery of the tool is scheduled for the third quarter 2016. The AIX G5+ C cluster that Plessey purchased consists of two multi-wafer AIX G5+ reactors. Aixtron’s next generation cassette-to-cassette handler supplements the reactors for large-scale, fully automated epitaxy production.
Plessey said it bought the Aixtron planetary system mainly to expand production of their 150 mm GaN-on-Si wafers. Aixtron’s G5+ system can process eight 150 mm wafers or five 200 mm wafers at the same time. Eventually, Plessey intends to qualify the system for production of GaN LEDs on 200 mm silicon wafers to increase the number of LED die that they can fabricate per wafer.
Mike Snaith, Operations Director at Plessey, said, “We are now moving from proof of capability for our GaN-on-Si LED products into a capacity expansion phase. In the meantime, we have built significant demand for a range of our LED products. We have decided to purchase Aixtron’s latest planetary system as the AIX G5+ C combines outstanding on-wafer uniformity and run-to-run performance at lowest cost of ownership – aspects that are crucial for efficient high-volume GaN-on-Si production.”
Dr. Frank Schulte, Vice President Aixtron Europe, commented, “Our AIX G5+ C planetary system resolves the common challenges of high-yield, high-quality and high-throughput production of GaN-based materials on large-area silicon wafers through its fully automated cassette-to-cassette loader and a thermally activated gas etch of the MOCVD chamber.”
