News: LEDs
8 November 2022
3D-Micromac receives order for laser lift-off systems for micro-LED device manufacturing
3D-Micromac AG of Chemnitz, Germany (which provides laser micromachining and roll-to-roll laser systems for semiconductor, photovoltaic, glass and display applications) says that a leading optical solutions provider has purchased multiple microMIRA laser lift-off (LLO) systems for use in micro-LED device production. The customer will install the new systems in pilot and production lines at its LED chip factory in Asia.
Laser lift-off an enabling process for micro-LEDs
For the display industry, micro-LEDs promise advantages such as superior viewing angle, high dynamic range with perfect black luminance and high brightness, wide color gamut, fast refresh rates, long lifetime, and low power consumption. Potential applications include very large displays for indoor and outdoor use, as well as high-resolution displays for augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) wearable devices.
However, the micro-LED fabrication process is vastly more complex than LCD and OLED manufacturing, and faces several technical challenges that must be overcome before micro-LEDs can be readily available in the mass market. Among these challenges is detaching and transferring the processed micro-LED chips from the donor or growth substrate (e.g. sapphire) to an intermediate substrate for subsequent testing without damaging the expensive growth substrate, allowing it to be repurposed for future use.
The microMIRA system precisely addresses this task, and is said to provide highly uniform, force-free lift-off of different layers on large-area substrates at high processing speeds without the need for costly and polluting wet-chemical processes. The unique line beam system is built on a highly customizable platform that can incorporate different laser sources, wavelengths and beam paths to meet each customer’s unique requirements. The system is capable of processing different substrate materials and sizes, and can achieve processing speeds (including handling) of up to 60 eight-inch wafers per hour.
Picture: The microMIRA laser system.
“This multiple system order is a testament to our ability to provide innovative and enabling laser micromachining solutions for industrial applications serving both mature and emerging markets,” says CEO Uwe Wagner. “It also represents an important milestone for 3D-Micromac as we continue to expand our product offerings and services into the display industry, addressing the production needs for exciting new display technologies, including micro-LEDs,” he adds. “To date, 3D-Micromac has sold more than 10 laser processing systems for micro-LED applications, including our industry-benchmark microMIRA laser-lift-off system as well as our recently introduced microCETI micromachining platform.”
The microMIRA LLO system has been used in mass production by electronics manufacturers globally for years. In addition to gallium nitride (GaN) lift-off from glass and sapphire substrates in micro-LED display manufacturing, the microMIRA system can also be used for layer separation in semiconductor and sensor manufacturing, as well as for laser annealing and crystallization for surface modification.
