12 June 2012

Plessey orders Aixtron CRIUS II-XL reactor for GaN-on-Si LED production

Deposition equipment maker Aixtron SE of Herzogenrath, Germany has received an order from UK-based Plessey Semiconductors Ltd for the first of a set of production-ready CRIUS II-XL metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) reactors in 7x6”-wafer configuration, dedicated to the growth of high-brightness (HB) LED wafers based on gallium nitride on silicon (GaN-on-Si) materials.

Aixtron’s local support team will install and commission the first reactor before the end of June in Plessey’s cleanroom facility in Plymouth, UK.

“We are on schedule for the production of a world-class LED that will become the high-performance lighting LED at the price break-through the market has been waiting for,” reckons Plessey Semiconductors’ chief operating officer Barry Dennington. “We completed the acquisition of the University of Cambridge spin-off company CamGaN in February 2012 and are now installing the capability for the full commercial exploitation of GaN-on-Si technology. Furthermore, we will be in early prototype production before the end of third-quarter 2012 and in full production by Q2/2013,” he adds.

“The CRIUS II-XL reactor will form the basis of our commencement of full production of materials for LEDs,” says Neil Harper, HB LED programme and product line director. Plessey’s branded MAGIC (MAnufactured on GaNICs) LEDs will be fabricated on large-area silicon substrates through the firm’s 6-inch integrated circuit fabrication line in Plymouth. “Aixtron’s latest CRIUS technology has many advantages that meet our needs, such as the best cost-of-ownership for GaN epi-layer growth on 6-inch silicon substrates and eventually on 8-inch silicon substrates. In addition, we can draw upon the excellent support services in the UK from Aixtron Ltd. and Aixtron Europe,” he adds.

“Plessey is a well-established name in the electronics industry and they are now accelerating the commercial exploitation of one of the most promising areas of epitaxial technology, GaN-on-Si,” comments Aixtron’s chief operating officer Dr Bernd Schulte. “Plessey technology has the potential to transform the LED industry by lowering the cost of LEDs, as demanded by the solid-state lighting industry,” he adds.

Plessey Semiconductors develops and manufactures semiconductor products used in sensing, measurement and controls applications for a wide range of markets including communications, medical, defense, aerospace and automotive. Earlier this year, the firm announced its plan to bring to market low-cost ‘MAGIC’ HB-LED products (initially for the replacement incandescent bulb market) within the next six months. It also plans to develop a range of smart-lighting products incorporating Plessey’s existing sensing and control technologies.

See related items:

Plessey acquires Cambridge GaN-on-Si HB-LED spin-off CamGaN

See: Aixtron Company Profile

Tags: Aixtron MOCVD GaN LEDs

Visit: www.plesseysemiconductors.com

Visit: www.aixtron.com