News: Suppliers
23 February 2022
Aixtron ships AIX 2800G4-TM and AIX G5+ C MOCVD systems to HC Semitek
Deposition equipment maker Aixtron SE of Herzogenrath, near Aachen, Germany says that in fourth-quarter 2021 it shipped AIX 2800G4-TM (IC2) and AIX G5+ C metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) systems (all in 8x6-inch configuration) to China-based chipmaker HC Semitek.
HC Semitek is positioning itself for micro-LED technology (a strong emerging market in the display industry) that enables what is described as unmatched pixel resolution, superior display quality and much higher current efficacy than existing display technologies. To achieve these benefits, the next generation of LED displays will require millions of micron-size LEDs to be transferred onto one single display, which has driven LED suppliers to develop new mass-transfer technologies.
To enable this, large arrays of LEDs are taken directly from the processed LED wafers, making any upfront wafer binning or sorting of defective chips obsolete. Consequently, says Aixtron, it is essential that all epitaxial wafers produced have a very tight wavelength distribution and a very low level of defects on their surfaces, calling for new MOCVD approaches.
Aixtron says that its Planetary system features wafer-level control of the film surface temperature during the epitaxial process. This enables very accurate control of the indium incorporation into the multi-quantum wells (MQW), which will ultimately define the wavelength consistency among all produced wafers. Cassette-to-cassette automation - coupled with in-situ cleaning - ensure that no particle will contaminate the films during handling or the epitaxy processing, says the firm.
“Aixtron has been our trustable and reliable partner for MOCVD solutions over the past 15 years. We are delighted to now strengthen our cooperation in the area of micro-LED products,” says HC Semitek’s CEO Dr Jianhui Zhou. “Aixtron’s Planetary technology has been well proven for the best uniformity and low particle performance… This is a key step for the commercialization of micro-LEDs and will reinforce HC Semitek's leading position in the display market,” he reckons.
“We are looking forward to supporting the acceleration of the roll out of micro-LEDs for displays,” says Aixtron’s CEO & president Dr Felix Grawert. “Micro-LED technology is disrupting the existing display ecosystem, embracing methods and approaches only seen in the semiconductor industry. Our Planetary technology platform solutions perfectly fulfill these stringent epitaxial requirements,” he believes.
