Epitaxial deposition and process equipment maker Veeco Instruments Inc of Plainview, NY, USA says that the research lab CEA-Leti in Grenoble, France, has selected Veeco’s TurboDisc K465i metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) system for its program with its partner Aledia S.A. which develops LEDs based on nanowire GaN-on-silicon technology.
Aledia was spun out of CEA-Leti in 2011 and is based at the CEA site. It three founders include two former CEA researchers, Xavier Hugon and Philippe Gilet. Aledia’s goal is to manufacture 3D nanowire-based LEDs for solid-state lighting applications on thin silicon wafer substrates, of 8 inches or greater in diameter, at a cost significantly below that of conventional planar LEDs.
When electrically charged, thin crystalline nanowires can emit a broader spectrum of light than conventional LEDs, and can be grown on industry-standard silicon substrates. Aledia’s nanowire technology was originally developed at CEA-Leti, and Aledia and CEA-Leti continue to develop nanowire technology in close cooperation.
“We are confident that Veeco’s MOCVD system is the right equipment to help make this technology successful,” comments Fabrice Geiger, head of CEA-Leti’s Silicon Technology Division.
“The TurboDisc reactor will be an important element of our strategy to take this potentially game-changing technology towards the commercialization phase,” believes Aledia’s president & CEO Giorgio Anania. “In partnership with CEA-Leti, we selected Veeco because our analysis indicated that at this time their MOCVD systems showed the best financial returns for 8-inch wafer production on the market,” he adds.
“We are looking forward to working with CEA-Leti and Aledia on their efforts to commercialize nanowire LED technology, which shows promise to accelerate the industry’s roadmap towards cheaper and more efficient LEDs,” says William J. Miller Ph.D., executive VP, Veeco Process Equipment.
