AIXTRON launches world's largest MOCVD reactor for GaN LEDs

With the introduction of the new AIXTRON CRIUS II-L, the world's largest capacity MOCVD reactor is now available with a 16x4 inch or 69x2 inch capacity. This new reactor evolution is based on the already market proven CRIUS II platform which was introduced very successfully in 2010, guaranteeing customers a seamless transfer of qualified high performance LED processes.

Reduction of manufacturing cost is a key issue in the LED industry, in particular when looking at the required cost reduction for solid state lighting products. After having analyzed MOCVD related manufacturing cost, it was obvious that the reactor capacity remains the key parameter with the strongest influence on operating cost, states Dr. Rainer Beccard, Vice President Marketing at AIXTRON.

This new CRIUS II-L is the largest capacity manufacturing-proven MOCVD reactor available in the world today, allowing a fast reduction in LED chip cost. It offers unsurpassed capacity and throughput, combined with an outstanding yield due to its excellent uniformity and reproducibility. The CRIUS II-L reactor is design optimized for wafer sizes from 2 to 8 inch and offers the potential for even further productivity enhancements.

As with previous generations, the CRIUS II-L reactor is based on the Close Coupled Showerhead (CCS) concept, which as a key-enabling technology has a well proven track record in being easily scalable with a seamless and short process transfer. The CCS technology is well established in many markets with an excellent reputation and known to enable straight-forward process tuning, stable and robust processes and superior performance of LEDs.