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Imec welcomes Micron Technology, Applied Materials & Ultratech to R&D Program
The new research partners will focus on the development of GaN-on-Si process and equipment technologies for solid state lighting and next- generation power electronics components.
Micron Technology, Applied Materials, and Ultratech have joined the Imec industrial affiliation program (IIAP) on GaN-on-Si technology. This multi-partner R&D program focuses on the development of GaN-on-Si (gallium nitride-on-silicon) process and equipment technologies for manufacturing solid state lighting (e.g. LEDs) and next-generation power electronics components on 8-inch silicon wafers.
Gallium nitride (GaN) is a promising material for optoelectronics and advanced power electronic components, offering higher breakdown voltage and current capacity than silicon which is used in most components today.
However, to make GaN-based devices a competitive alternative to silicon devices, GaN manufacturing technology needs to achieve the same economies of scale. Today, state-of-the- art LED manufacturing processes are typically performed on expensive 4 inch sapphire substrates.
By depositing the GaN material on 8 inch silicon substrates, the productivity of GaN-based device manufacturing can be significantly increased. In addition, imec’s GaN-on-Si program is utilizing an Applied Materials mainframe to develop 8 inch GaN-on-Si technology that is compatible with the CMOS fab infrastructure. This can further enhance productivity and result in lowering device cost.
The multi-partner GaN R&D program, launched in 2009, aims to reduce the cost and improve the performance of GaN devices. This program brings together leading integrated device manufacturers (IDMs), foundries, compound semiconductor companies, equipment suppliers and substrate suppliers to develop 8 inch GaN technology. The IIAP builds on Imec’s excellent track record in GaN epi-layer growth, new device concepts and CMOS device integration.
Micron Technology, Applied Materials, and Ultratech will actively participate in the IIAP at Imec in
Leuven, Belgium. This on-site participation enables the partner companies to have early access to next- generation LED and power electronics processes, equipment and technologies.
Rudi Cartuyvels, VP & General Manager Process Technology at Imec commented, “We are excited to welcome 3 major companies to our GaN-on-Si IIAP. Less than a year after the program’s launch in July 2009, we have assembled a strong consortium, including IDMs and equipment suppliers, and we expect more companies to join in the near future. This collaboration reflects the value of Imec’s research on GaN-on-Si as a reliable cost-effective solution for next-generation LED and power electronics devices.”
EV Group to Provide UTA with Wafer Bonding and Mask Tools
The EVG520IS semi-automated wafer bonding system and EVG620TB mask and bond aligner will be employed for MEMS-related as well as photonics and optoelectronics research.
EV Group (EVG) has received an order for its EVG520IS semi-automated wafer bonding system and EVG620TB mask and bond aligner from the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA).
The tools will be employed at Nano Fab - UTA’s Nanotechnology Research and Teaching Facility, which is funded by the National Science Foundation’s Major Research Instrumentation Program. They will be used for a wide range of MEMS-related as well as photonics and optoelectronics research.
The order is EVG’s latest centered on the MEMS market, following its March shipment of two wafer bonders to the University of Michigan’s Lurie Nanofabrication Facility for advanced MEMS research.
MEMS are currently undergoing explosive growth, according to market analyst firm Yole Developpement, outpacing nearly every other segment of the electronics industry due to their implementation in sensors and accelerometers for mobile handsets, set-top boxes, gaming consoles and other high-volume consumer applications.
August/September 2010
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