Strategies Unlimited Predicts Increasing Demand for Advanced Substrates for GaN Devices
CompoundSemi News StaffMay 26, 2009...Market research firm, Strategies Unlimited, says that availability of high quality sapphire and silicon carbide substrates enabled the growth of the gallium nitride device market over the past 15 years. However, the company predicts that increasing demand for blue-violet laser diodes, UV LEDs, and high power, high frequency devices will need a greater volume of advanced substrates such as gallium nitride and aluminum nitride. The company contends that such advanced substrates are necessary to offer lattice matching and the right thermal characteristics, to enable high performance and a high yield. At the same time, Strategies unlimited forecasts that demand for higher device manufacturing throughput and lower costs will prompt manufacturers to increase the diameters of sapphire and SiC diameters from two inches to three and four inches, and ultimately to six inches.
The company points out that the effort to develop advanced substrates with improved performance and better properties is worldwide in scope and includes 80 companies and 65 universities and research centers.
Strategies Unlimited predicts that based on the forecast demand for high-brightness LEDs, blue-violet laser diodes, and high-power, high-frequency electronic devices, the worldwide merchant market (excluding captive producers such as Cree) for substrates for gallium nitride devices will to grow from $280 million in 2008 to $470 million in 2013. Advanced substrates are to increase their portion of the market to 40 percent in 2013.
These predictions and forecasts are in the company's new report entitled Substrates for GaN-Based Devices: Performance Comparisons and Market Assessment 2009 . Strategies Unlimited News Release
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May 26, 2009...Emcore Corporation of Albuquerque, New Mexico USA reports that its Photovoltaics Division has been awarded a long-term contract to manufacture and deliver multi-junction solar cells for spacecraft projects of Space Systems/Loral.
The contract, which runs from 2009 through 2014, states that the radiation hardened solar cells will be produced at Emcore's manufacturing facilities located in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Christopher Larocca, executive vice president and general manager of Emcore's Solar Photovoltaics Division, stated, "We have been supplying Space Systems/Loral with solar cells for more than 10 years, and we are delighted and grateful to continue this relationship for the foreseeable future." Mr. Larocca continued, "Our proven manufacturing capability, technology leadership and unsurpassed reliability providing solar cells and panels to the space industry make Emcore the supplier of choice for demanding spacecraft power systems. We look forward to working with Space Systems/Loral to power their satellite missions for many years to come."
"Satellite manufacturers and solar array integrators continue to rely on Emcore as an independent supply source that meets all of their satellite power needs," added Dr. Hong Hou, President and CEO of Emcore. Emcore News Release Aixtron Gets Biggest Order Ever from China; Receives Second Order for Planetary Reactor System from INER
CompoundSemi News StaffMay 26, 2009...Aixtron of Aachen, Germany reports that it has received its largest single order ever order for its MOCVD tools from China from a company called Hualei Optoelectronic Ltd. Hualei Optoelectronic has reportedly ordered multiple of Aixtron's Crius MOCVD systems for production of high brightness LEDs. In other Aixtron News, the Institute of Nuclear Energy Research (INER) ordered Aixtron's AIX 2800G4 Planetary Reactor system for the production of germanium/ III-V solar cells that will be utilized in solar concentrator systems.
Aixtron says that the systems ordered by Hualei Optoelectronic will be shipped between Q2/09 through Q4/09. Part of this order has been recorded as order intake in Q1/2009.
Hualei Optoelectronic president Daqing He commented, "Entering [the] high brightness LED business is our strategic target for which we have decided to work closely with Aixtron, as the strongest partner, to enable Hualei achieving our goals quickly and efficiently.
"We will exploit the technical expertise of international partners targeting a fast entry into the LED market in order to be ready for the market upturn. This, coupled with the strong reputation of the professional and responsive service we will receive from the local Aixtron team will guarantee our success."
Aixtron News Release.
Aixtron notes that the Planetary Reactor system which INER ordered will be in the 15x4 configuration with the option to use wafers that are up to 8-inches in diameter. Aixtron News Release
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Northrop Grumman Wins Terahertz Contract
CompoundSemi News StaffMay 20, 2009...The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has awarded Northrop Grumman Corporation Phase I of a $37-million Terahertz (THz) Electronics contract, company officials announced. Work on the contract will support military and space satellites with the development of active receivers and transmitters operating at 670 gigahertz that ensure reliable, high-resolution images, and other applications.
The THz Electronics program is an extension of Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems' successful $7.7-million Phase I of development on the Sub-millimeter Wave Imaging Focal Plane Technology (SWIFT) program for DARPA that demonstrated components such as oscillators and amplifiers (low-noise and power) operating at 340 GHz for high-resolution imaging at sub-millimeter frequencies in all types of weather environments encountered by space and defense satellites. The THz Electronics program, which will continue to be supported by the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, will start at 650 GHz this year. It is not coincidental that DARPA picked Northrop Grumman. Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems recently captured a Guinness World Record for the fastest transistor which oscillates at well over 1000 GHz (1 THz).
Dr. Mark Rosker, program manager of DARPA's Microsystems Technology Office noted that the higher frequency components will enable emerging applications like terahertz communications and radars. He added, "But of potentially even greater consequence, this program will drive the state of the art in high performance III-V electronics, with vast implication to RF circuits and systems operating at more conventional (microwave and millimeter-wave) frequencies."
Company News Release
IQE to Develop CS Laser Products for Next Generation Broadband
CompoundSemi News StaffMay 20, 2009...IQE of Cardiff, UK, reports that it has won funding from the UK's Technology Strategy Board (TSB) for research into compound semiconductor laser products for the next generation of high speed broadband access devices.
The TSB is investing £1 million to help companies carry out initial research that to eventually develop and introduce internet access technology with speeds up to 10Gb/s, which is 1,000 times faster than current broadband speeds.
IQE and chip foundry partner CST Global have been collaborating on development of high specification diode laser components for such applications. The partners have been awarded three feasibility studies running in parallel to look at low cost laser sources for uncooled, high speed, extended reach Fibre To The Home (FTTH) applications based on AlInGaAs laser products.
Project lead Dr Wyn Meredith commented,
"This phase of optical network expansion is rewriting the rulebook in terms of the cost - quality equation; we are enabling a new breed of component vendors who have been quick to adopt the foundry model, and are proving far more agile and resilient than their vertically integrated competitors in the current market conditions. Involvement in this programme will result in rapid introduction of standardised foundry epitaxial and fabrication level laser diode solutions which will have proven performance in terms of transmission speed and optical power output, compatible with larger (4”) wafer formats." IQE News Release Advanced Photonix, Inc. to Deliver 40G Optical Receivers
CompoundSemi News StaffMay 20, 2009...Picometrix, LLC, an Advanced Photonix Company, announced that it signed an agreement with a manufacturer of optical subsystems to supply 40G balanced optical receivers. The optical receivers will go into the optical sub system manufacturer's next generation transponders for long-haul telecommunication networks. The company expects annual revenues from this agreement in excess of $1 million in the current fiscal year (FY2010). Under the agreement, Picometrix will supply its line-side DQPSK optical receivers, which utilize its patented photodiode, amplifier, and component packaging technologies. Picometrix contends that these technologies give the optical receivers the highest performance with the most compact form factors on the market today. The company's optical receivers will be incorporated into the OEM's 40G transponders. This will in turn be deployed throughout the networks of telecommunication service providers.
"Even in these challenging economic times, the demand for bandwidth is still increasing at a rapid rate driven by bandwidth intensive video applications, such as IP-HDTV," said Robin Risser, president and general manager of Picometrix. "These video applications require the next-generation of high bandwidth infrastructure to effectively deliver these services to locations across the globe...." Advanced Photonix News Release Tegal Establishes Subsidiary, Tegal France
CompoundSemi News StaffMay 18, 2009...Tegal Corporation of Petaluma, California USA, a developer of production solutions for power ICs and advanced MEMS, reports that it has established a wholly owned subsidiary in Annecy, France, called Tegal France. According to Tegal, the move completes its transition related to the Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE) products and corresponding intellectual property for 3D packaging and MEMS devices which came from the acquisition of France-based Alcatel Micro Machining Systems (AMMS) and Alcatel Lucent. The deal was first announced in September 2008 and completed later that month. Tegal says that the AMMS acquisition provides new opportunities in the MEMS and power device markets where Tegal is well entrenched. Tegal notes that it also provides access to large and fast-growing new markets such as thru-silicon vias (TSVs) for 3D IC packaging.
Tegal says that the new entity has staff composed of skilled engineers from the former AMMS operation. Tegal France will reportedly serve as the company's European hub and the nerve center of the its advanced DRIE product development initiatives. General Manager/R&D Director, Nicolas Launay will lead the Tegal France operation. Launay previously served as R&D Director at AMMS in Annecy. He reports to Tegal’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Thomas Mika.
Launay commented, "With our many combined years of etch technology development and process expertise within both the Tegal and the AMMS product families, we believe we can offer powerful new solutions to leading semiconductor manufacturers, especially those working on new-generation 3D packaging applications." Tegal Corporation News Release Our news features are reported
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