News: Suppliers
6 October 2020
Riber and Comptek partner to commercialize Kontrox technology
Riber S.A. of Bezons, France – which manufactures molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) systems as well as evaporation sources and effusion cells – and Comptek Solutions Oy (which specializes in III-V compound semiconductor quantum surface engineering) have signed a commercial partnership deal to develop joint technological solutions.
Spun off from Finland’s University of Turku in 2017, Comptek addresses the oxidation issue in III-Vs with its patented Kontrox technology.
III-V-based devices have a natural tendency to oxidize almost instantly once exposed to air, which results in the formation of an amorphous oxide layer leading to a range of defects that limit their performance and manufacturing yields. To tackle this, the Kontrox passivation process creates a thin layer of stable crystalline oxide with a dry vacuum approach, preventing the amorphous oxidation layer from forming. Compared with existing methods, Kontrox is said to drastically reduce the density of interface defects and increase efficiency and manufacturing yields for III-V devices, including high-electron-mobility transistors (pHEMTs) and heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs). This can result in devices that are increasingly efficient, smaller and more reliable for applications such as 5G, facial recognition (3D sensors), augmented reality, virtual reality and autonomous vehicles.
Kontrox can also aid the development of next-generation CMOS processors, where the quality of the interface between the gate oxide insulator and the III-V materials in transistors has a crucial role in CMOS operations.
The technology also boosts the performance of optoelectronic devices - such as mini- and micro-LEDs, high-power lasers, vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) and infrared sensors, improving their efficiency, brightness and lifespan.
The partnership between Riber and Comptek aims to build a long-term collaboration to support and accelerate Kontrox technology transfer to industrial clients by delivering customized, highly efficient ultra-high-vacuum equipment along with expert technical support and lifecycle management services.
The collaboration makes it possible to customize and optimize the specifications for equipment to deploy Kontrox technology according to user needs. It is reckoned that this will enhance technology industrialization, featuring process control developed specifically for Kontrox.
Comptek raises €450,000 for Kontrox technology to passivate oxidized III-V surfaces
