RAINBOW: The European Industrial GaN Program

RAINBOW: The European Industrial GaN Program

The European Commission has now established a major research and development program on Ga-Al-In-N for multicolor sources in the frame of its Brite/Euram Program, under the synonym RAINBOW.

This project targets two important, closely related and fast growing markets. Firstly, high brightness outdoor lighting as used in large outdoor displays, traffic signals, automobile lighting, etc... and secondly, the market of high density optical disk storage as used in multimedia environments. To attack these areas the consortium intends to develop the first complete European Al-Ga-In-N materials base, culminating in the mass production technology of Ultra High Brightness Light Emitting Diodes (UHB-LED) in various colours and in the fabrication of blue laser nitride. The present consortium, including major manufacturers of electronic components (Thomson-CSF), laser diodes (Philips), growth reactors (AIXTRON), starting chemicals (Epichem) together with experts in device design (Univ. of Surrey), reactor design (Univ. of Erlangen), materials characterization (Univ. of Aveiro), nitride material process (CRHEA) will generate a competitive technology base to serve the fast growing world market.

The final scope of users being the mass production of LEDs and lasers, the following objectives will be achieved in the framework of this project:

Realization of optoelectronic device demonstrators including:
- UHB-LEDs prototype emitting in the range 400 nm to 590 nm with luminous intensity of 4 cd
- laser diode samples operating at a wavelength of around 400 nm with CW output power (P_out) of 5 mW at room temperature.
Development of device processing technology for Ga-Al-In-N based alloys, applicable to both multicoloured UHB-LEDs and blue laser diodes.
Development of material fabrication process (MOVPE growth) for the Al-Ga-In-N multilayer structures applicable to both multicoloured UHB-LEDs and blue laser diodes.
Development of optimum group III and nitrogen precursors to allow the epitaxial deposition of group III nitrides with reduced pre-reaction and reduced V/III ratios (from the present 1000 : 1 to below 100 : 1).

Almost all the technological development of a UHB-LED is identical to that required for a laser where a beam of stimulated emission is generated by the addition of two parallel reflecting faces. After completion of the proposed three years RTD project, it is expected that an additional six months will be required to optimize LED and laser prototype to the market place. The marketing of the developed epitaxial process will begin three months after the completion of the project.

The project has clear industrial exploitation policy and a professional information dissemination strategy. The EC considers the economic, industrial, safety, social and environmental impact from this project as important, due to the large demand of LEDs and lasers of this kind required in the world market. Contacts:

Thomson-CSF LCR, France	Dr. M.A. Poisson
	Dr. J.P. Duchemin
	Phone:+33(1)6933-0000, Fax: +33(1)6933-0878
	E-mail: duchemin@lcr.thomson.fr
AIXTRON AG, Germany	Dr. Holger Juergensen
	Phone: +49(241)89090; Fax: +49(241)890925
	E-mail: juer@aixtron.com
Philips Optoelectronics	Prof. Dr. Bart H. Verbeek
Netherlands	Phone: +31(40)27-42993, Fax: +31(40)27-43859
	E-mail: verbeek@natlab.research.philips.com
Epichem Ltd., United Kingdom	Mr. Barry Leese
	Phone: +44(151) 334-2774; Fax: +44(151) 334-6422
The University of Surrey, Dept. of	Prof. Alfred Rodney Adams
Physics, United Kingdom	Phone: +44(1483)259-310; Fax: +44(1483)259-501
University of Erlangen-Nürnberg,	Dr. Yuri Makarov
Fluid Mechanics Institute, Germany	Phone: +49(9131)761-248; Fax: +49(9131)761-242
	E-mail: yuri@lstm.uni-erlangen.de
Universidade de Aveiro, Dept. de	Prof. Maria Helena Nazaré
Fisica, Portugal	Phone: +351(34)370-356; Fax: +351(34)24965
CRHEA-CNRS, France	Dr. Pierre Gibart
	Phone: +33(04)9395 4227; Fax: +33(04)9395-8361
	E-mail: pg@crhea1.unice.fr

For further information please contact:

Sarah O´Connell
Marketing Manager
AIXTRON AG
Kackertstr. 15 - 17
52072 Aachen
Germany
Tel: +49 (241) 8909-473
Fax: +49 (241) 8909-40

email: o.schirmer@aixtron.com
www: http://www.aixtron.com