21 March 2012

GT receives $12.6m follow-on order from Shangcheng for ASF sapphire furnaces

GT Advanced Technologies Inc of Merrimack, NH, USA (a provider of polysilicon production technology as well as sapphire and silicon crystalline growth systems and materials for the solar, LED and other specialty markets) has received a $12.6m follow-on order from Zhejiang Shangcheng Science & Technology Co Ltd for additional ASF sapphire growth furnaces.

Shangcheng is a vertically integrated sapphire manufacturer producing boules, cores and wafers for LED makers (as well as other industrial applications). The furnaces will increase the firm’s production capacity, which it believes is needed to meet expected demand from the LED industry and other industrial applications.

“This follow-on order for our ASF furnaces demonstrates Shangcheng’s confidence not only in the robustness of our sapphire growth technology, but in the continued growth of the LED industry,” says GT’s president & CEO Tom Gutierrez. “The winners in this industry will be the companies that are positioning themselves for the future by investing today in best-in-class technology that enables low-cost production of high-quality sapphire. Shangcheng has demonstrated the kind of leadership and technological expertise needed to prepare the company for long-term success,” he believes.

“The ASF furnaces we initially purchased are now qualified and already producing high-quality ASF-grown material,” says Shangcheng’s general manager Yuncai Wu. “Our manufacturing operations and technology teams worked closely with GT’s local sales, service and support teams to ensure a successful startup of our new sapphire production plant, which is demonstrated by the fact that we have already qualified our material by some top LED manufacturers at 2-, 4- and 6-inch diameters,” he adds. “We are very grateful for the level of support GT has provided during the ramp up of our new plant.”

Tags: GT Advanced Technologies Sapphire crystallization furnaces

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