GT Advanced Technologies Inc of Merrimack, NH, USA (a provider of polysilicon production technology as well as sapphire and silicon crystalline growth systems and materials for the solar, LED and power electronics markets) says that it will be making its next-generation ASF165 sapphire growth furnace (for the production of high-volume and high-quality sapphire material) commercially available in third-quarter 2014.
Expected to be the only commercially available sapphire production furnace capable of producing high-quality 165kg boules in high volume, the new system will deliver a 40% increase in boule size compared with the existing ASF115.
The ASF165 is currently in the beta testing stage and is expected to be ready for volume shipments from Q3/2014. Customers with installed ASF units, or those who opt to take delivery of new ASFs out of backlog prior to the general availability of the ASF165, will be able to upgrade to the larger-capacity system when they become available. ASF165 units will also be available to new customers targeting the LED and industrial markets.
"The ASF165 gives customers a competitive advantage and lower cost of ownership by providing a sapphire furnace that significantly increases capacity and reduces cost," says president & CEO Tom Gutierrez. "Several industry analysts are forecasting an increase in demand for sapphire material, and we believe that ASF customers who take advantage of the larger-capacity ASF165 will be well positioned to serve this anticipated demand."
GT also indicates that it has developed more advanced ASF technology capable of producing boules significantly greater than 165kg, but it intends to keep this more advanced ASF system captive for an extended period of time.
