Deposition equipment maker Aixtron SE of Herzogenrath, near Aachen, Germany says that Seoul-based LG Innotek (a subsidiary of South Korean electronics company LG Group) has selected an AIX G5 WW (Warm-Wall) reactor for the development of silicon carbide (SiC) epitaxial wafers aimed mainly at power devices for automotive and renewable energy applications. Configured for 8x6-inch substrates, the system was delivered in fourth-quarter 2015.
The AIX G5 WW vapor phase epitaxy (VPE) system is based on Aixtron's production-proven planetary reactor platform, giving the largest batch capacity and highest throughput in the industry, it is reckoned. The equipment design aims to minimize production costs while maintaining production quality.
"We see rising demand for SiC-based systems from major automotive manufacturers," says LG Innotek vice president Dr Minseok Kang, the leader of Korea's WPM (World Premier Material) national project for SiC materials development (led by LG Innotek). "Based on our long-term experience with Aixtron epitaxy systems, we believe that Aixtron's G5 WW tool offers unique advantages such as high throughput and yield on 6-inch wafers. Furthermore, we can pre-qualify SiC epitaxial wafer samples using Aixtron's SiC application lab and we appreciate the outstanding, dedicated SiC customer support package," he comments.
"We will provide full support to LG Innotek for the quick installation and SiC process qualification of the system," notes Dr Frank Wischmeyer, vice president Power Electronics at Aixtron.