7 December 2011

Rubicon celebrates anniversary of Batavia facility, as LED industry continues transition to large diameter sapphire wafers

Rubicon Technology Inc of Bensenville, IL, USA, which makes monocrystalline sapphire substrates and products for the LED, RFIC, semiconductor and optical industries, has marked the first anniversary of its 135,000 sq. ft., next-generation sapphire crystal growth facility, which is located in Batavia, IL. The facility produces sapphire crystals which are then processed into sapphire ingots and large diameter sapphire wafers. Sapphire wafers are regularly used as the substrate material for light emitting diodes (LEDs), as well as for other compound semiconductor-based devices.

As a vertically integrated supplier, Rubicon grows large sapphire crystals at the Batavia facility from raw materials in custom-built, proprietary furnaces, says the firm. The company completes the process to make large diameter wafers in their Penang, Malaysia cutting and polishing facility.

"Rubicon's proprietary crystal growth technology, as exemplified by our Batavia plant, has been refined over the past 11 years to provide consistently high yield and the highest quality sapphire for our customers," said Raja Parvez, Rubicon’s president and CEO. "Rubicon's Batavia plant is the cornerstone of our market leadership in providing large-diameter sapphire wafers to the LED industry. Rubicon offers LED manufacturers the most reliable supply of high quality, high yield, large diameter sapphire wafers which is important to supporting the adoption of LED-based general lighting worldwide."

According to the firm, a transition to larger diameter wafers has started in LED manufacturing, with several manufacturers announcing plans to migrate to and/or test large diameter wafers in 2011/2012. Rubicon says that to date it has shipped more than 200,000 six-inch sapphire wafers to the LED manufacturing and RFIC industries.

Large diameter sapphire wafers will be instrumental in driving the cost of LED manufacturing down, which will be a key element in supporting the worldwide commercial adoption of LED-based solid state lighting, adds the firm. According to market research firm DisplaySearch, the total average LED penetration in lighting was 1.4% in 2010 and is forecast to reach 9.3% in 2014.

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Sapphire to exceed 50% of compound semiconductor substrate processed surface area from 2011

Tags: Rubicon Sapphire substrates

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