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!!! Press Release !!! INGAN/GAN ON SI TECHNOLOGY
FOR BLUE LASER Aachen, July 23rd, 2002 - During the IWN (International Workshop on Nitrides) conference in Aachen, Germany, researchers from the RWTH Aachen, Stepanov Institute of Physics, Minsk and AIXTRON presented the first optically pumped blue laser chip based on InGaN/GaN using a Silicon wafer substrate. This is a key result towards achieving low cost, highly efficient compound semiconductor technologies. The key technical data of this InGaN/GaN on Si substrate laser include wavelength in the blue of 447nm, a high maximum operation temperature of 420K, a low threshold to achieve the lasing of 270kW/cm² and an output power of 8W, representing results close to the technology of laser grown on much more expensive sapphire and SiC substrates. Those results compliment the previously impressive findings of institutions this year such as the Research Center Juelich, Aachen University of Technology and the University of Magdeburg, in which various GaN compound semiconductors were grown successfully on wafers made of Si rather than the usual cost intensive SiC or sapphire (AIXTRON press release, April 18, 2002). The basis for this success is the proven AIXTRON MOCVD technology for Nitride materials. AIXTRON already owns a substantial number of patents and IP rights protecting the key underlying MOCVD technology steps that are within the AIXTRON HeteroWafer® Technology. For AIXTRON's customers these results will mean in particular that they will be able to produce high performance microelectronics and photonics - HBTs, HEMTs, blue/green LEDs, and blue lasers - in a more cost-effective and flexible manner. Silicon wafers have the advantage of being up to ten times cheaper than SiC or sapphire wafers, and are also available in much larger diameters - up to 300mm. Like SiC wafers, they offer high levels of thermal conductivity - particularly important for high performance electronics - without the insulating properties of sapphire wafers which can be unfavorable in certain applications. III-V Semiconductors on Si substrates will strongly contribute to cost reductions and further scaling of all Compound Semiconductor devices manufacturing. The experimentally demonstrated potential for notable cost reductions using a cheaper substrate, enabled by AIXTRON's renowned MOCVD technology is currently attracting significant interest from those companies currently active in the fields of LED, lighting and telecommunications based on GaN. More details regarding this new key technology based on AIXTRON MOCVD reactors will be reported by Prof. A. Krost from Magdeburg University on Wednesday 24.07.02 at 09.00 am at the IWN Conference (22nd - 25th July), Aachen, Germany. This invited talk honors the International Scientific Advisory Committee, the international leading position of AIXTRON customers and co-operation partners in this exciting new field of research. With an installed base of well over 650 systems world-wide, AIXTRON, as verified by VLSI Research Inc., is the world leading supplier of equipment for semiconductor epitaxy and has been rated once more amongst the 2002 10 BEST in its category in the most recent VLSI Customer Satisfaction Survey. Its equipment is used by a diverse range of customers world-wide to manufacture critical, advanced components such as HBTs, PHEMTs, MESFETs, Lasers, LEDs, Detectors and VCSELs used in fibre optic communications systems, wireless and mobile telephony applications, optical storage devices, illumination, signaling and lighting, as well as a range of other leading edge technologies. The company has an extensive service and support network in over 15 countries. AIXTRON's many customers include Agere, Alcatel, Anritsu, ATMI, Avalon, AXT, Epson, Honeywell, Infineon, IQE, IQE Silicon Compounds, ITT, JDS-Uniphase, Kopin, LumiLeds, Mitsubishi, Motorola, Nortel, Optospeed, Osram, Procomp, Samsung, Showa Denko, Siemens, ST Microelectronics, Sumitomo, Thales, UEC, VPEC as well as numerous Japanese corporations. AIXTRON systems have also been installed in the most renowned research institutes worldwide, including CNRS, Fraunhofer Institute, ITRI-OES, JPL, Meijo University, NDL, Research Center Jülich, RIKEN, Sandia Nat Lab, Tsinghua University and the University of Tokyo. AIXTRON is very active in advancing MOCVD technology through collaborations and joint R&D projects with major partners worldwide. AIXTRON AG (FSE: AIX ISIN DE0005066203) is included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index World and the MSCI World Index. For further information please contact:
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