News: Suppliers
2 April 2025
Aixtron supplying G10-AsP MOCVD system to Nokia
Deposition equipment maker Aixtron SE in Herzogenrath, near Aachen, Germany is to supply a G10-AsP metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) system to Nokia Corp, enabling it to produce 6-inch indium phosphide (InP) wafers. This marks a significant milestone in the evolution of photonic integrated circuits (PICs), says Aixtron.
At the end of February, Finland-headquartered Nokia completed the acquisition of Infinera Corp of San Jose, CA, USA, a vertically integrated manufacturer of open optical networking systems and optical semiconductors.
“The ability to produce 6-inch InP wafers will significantly enhance their manufacturing and technology capabilities and drive the adoption of next-generation optical technologies,” reckons Aixtron’s CEO & president Dr Felix Grawert.
Driven by megatrends such as high-speed data communication, 5G, sensing, and AI, the global market for PICs is rising at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 16% from US$12bn in 2023 to about US$41bn by 2031, forecasts a report from maret research firm Markets and Data.
The transition to 6-inch InP wafers represents a significant advance for the PIC industry. Larger wafer sizes enable higher production volumes and reduced per-unit cost while accessing superior manufacturing technology. This shift is particularly important for high-demand sectors such as telecoms, automotive, and data centers, where high-frequency, high-bandwidth data transmission is critical.
Leveraging high-performance InP, Nokia’s PICs integrate a wide range of optical functions on a single chip, reducing cost, footprint and power consumption while enhancing performance and reliability.
Aixtron says that its G10-AsP system provides precise and uniform processes that PICs require in contrast to traditional transceivers, as demonstrated in particular on 6-inch InP wafers. For example, due to an innovative injector and advanced temperature control, the platform is said to offer up to 4x superior on-wafer-uniformity for critical layers compared with the previous generation. Combined with in-situ cleaning, these new levels of uniformities can be consistently reproduced without the need for hardware exchange or calibration between the different growth steps of the complex circuits. The automated cassette-to-cassette (C2C) wafer loading ensures high operator efficacy for the MOCVD tool, Aixtron says.
“The acquisition of Aixtron’s state-of-the-art G10-AsP platform is a strategic investment in our production capabilities,” notes Steve Stockman, who leads Nokia’s InP-based PIC manufacturing. “This advanced technology will enable us to meet the growing demand for high-performance photonic integrated circuits and expand our leadership in the industry.”
Infinera’s acquisition by Nokia expected to complete on or about 28 February
AIXTRON Innovation Center opened by North Rhine-Westphalia’s Minister for Economic Affairs
