News

12 November 2009

 

Marktech & Optrans launch 4” InP wafers in North America and Europe

In collaboration with Marktech Optoelectronics of Latham, NY, USA (its exclusive North American and European sales & marketing partner), Optrans Corp of Kawasaki-Shi, Japan, which specializes in visible and infrared emitters, sensors and assemblies, has introduced high-purity, high-speed indium phosphide (InP) wafers to the North American and European markets.

The Optrans R&D team has developed a new MOCVD process that produces multiple 4-inch wafers simultaneously, significantly reducing the processing time required. The firm says that the Closed Coupled Showerhead (CCS) technology from Aixtron that is used in the MOCVD reactors results in increased production capacity and greater cost savings. Optrans ordered an Aixtron CRIUS CCS reactor in multi 4-inch wafer configuration in fourth-quarter 2008 for the production of InP-based optoelectronic devices including photodiodes and LEDs. More recently, in March, Optrans acquired part of the InP microchip division of long-term Aixtron customer NTT-AT of Japan. The firm’s target is to produce 12,500 wafers annually by 2010.

Optrans says that, since InP material enables high operating speeds, low noise, low voltage and high reliability, the industry is shifting from traditional materials such as gallium arsenide (GaAs) to next-generation high-speed circuits using InP. Also, since InP is used in both photonic and electronic applications, typical photonic device types include lasers, photo-detectors, avalanche photo-diodes, optical modulators and amplifiers, waveguide-based devices, quantum photonic devices, and both optoelectronic and photonic integrated circuits as well as new devices for optical communications, switching, networking, signal processing and leading-edge material for solar cells.

In particular, InP-based high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) allow low-noise operation and are the best choice for optoelectronic applications that require compatibility with InP-based optical devices and speeds of 40Gb/s or above, while InP heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) are the preferred solution for future generations of fiber-optic transmission systems envisioning speeds of up to 80Gb/s.

Optrans says that it is poised to meet the growing demand for InP wafers in the microelectronics and telecoms industries. The firm’s 4-inch InP wafers are in full production, and are available through Marktech Optoelectronics with lead times of 8-10 weeks.

See related items:

Optrans orders Aixtron MOCVD reactor for InP opto devices

NTT divests InP chip division to Optrans

Search: Optrans InP wafers Aixtron MOCVD InP

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