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NIST Researchers Develop Method for Producing GaN Nanowires
CompoundSemi News Staff

July 26, 2010...Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology have been able to grow thousands of evenly spaced nanowires on silicon in a formation that looks like a pin screen. The researchers detailed their experiments in Advanced Functional Materials. The gallium nitride nanowires were relatively defect free and pure. The researchers claim to have controlled the diameter and placement of the nanowires better than others have reported about catalyst-based nanowires. Such nanowires have applications in sensors and lasers. The researchers reportedly grew the nanowires layer by layer on silicon using molecular beam epitaxy.

The key trick in the growth was first creating a stencil like mask with precisely defined holes through which the nanowires could be grown. According to the researchers, mask openings ranged from 300 to 1000 nanometers (nm) wide, in increments of 100 nm. A single nanowire grew, with a well-formed hexagonal shape and a symmetrical tip with six facets grew in each opening of 300 nm or 400 nm. Larger openings produced more variable results. Openings of 400 nm to 900 nm yielded single-crystal nanowires with multifaceted tops. Structures grown in 1,000-nm openings appeared to be multiple wires stuck together. All nanowires grew to about 1,000 nm tall over three days.

Lead researcher Kris Bertness says that although the growth temperatures are too high (over 800 degrees Celsius) for silicon circuitry to tolerate, there may be ways to grow the nanowires first and then protect them during circuitry fabrication.

Innolume Debuts Pump Source LD for Raman-amplified GPON
CompoundSemi News Staff

July 26, 2010...Innolume, a maker of Quantum dot-based diode lasers with headquarters in Dortmund, Germany announced that it has begun sampling the LD-12xx-series laser platform for a new generation of pump laser. The LD-12xx-series is based on the company’s proprietary Quantum Dot epitaxial technology.

The company says that the series is designed as a pump source for O-band Raman amplification, and it features a single mode output of 300 mW at 1100 mA, centered at 1240 nm or 1260 nm. The series is packaged in a 14-pin butterfly and is optionally equipped with a polarization maintaining fiber (PMF) as well as a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) to achieve high stability of output power and spectrum.

The company points to the laser pump source for its application in Passive Optical Network (PON) technologies to help meet the subscribers’ increasing demand for high bandwidth services. Guido Vogel, VP of Business Development at Innolume commented, "Deployment of distributed Raman-amplified GPON technology based on our LD-12xx-series lasers will offer network operators the option to extend network reach while saving on CAPEX and OPEX. Installing the amplifier unit at the Central Office significantly reduces maintenance costs versus powered extender boxes in the field, which are generally impractical, particularly for rural deployments.”

Applied Materials Stops Selling Turnkey Solar Production Lines to Focus on c-Si Solar and LEDs
CompoundSemi News Staff

July 22, 2010...Applied Materials, Inc. announced plans to restructure its Energy and Environmental Solutions (EES) segment to focus on crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar and advanced energy, including LED technology. The restructuring is expected to decrease the company's operating expenses by $100 million annually. The plan is intended to make EES a profitable segment in fiscal year 2011. The company will discontinue sales to new customers of its SunFab fully-integrated lines (turn-key) line for producing crystaline silicon Solar. However, the company will continue to sell individual chemical vapor deposition and physical vapor deposition systems to crystalline silicon thin-film solar makers. Applied's solar R&D center in Xi'an, China will reportedly concentrate on advancing its c-Si solar and other technologies. Applied Materieals is expected to use money awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act towards improving the cost effectiveness of MOCVD systems, especially for the production of LEDs.(Ref: Coverage).

Shanghai Epilight Selects Veeco’s MOCVD Systems for LED Manufacturing Capacity Ramp
CompoundSemi News Staff

July 22, 2010...Veeco reports that during the recently completed second quarter of 2010 that Shanghai Epilight Technology Company Ltd., a large LED manufacturer in China, ordered multiple Veeco TurboDisc K465i Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) systems. According to Epilight, the systems are for the company's planned capacity expansion at their Shanghai high-brightness HB-LED fab.

Mr. Wendi Liu, President of Epilight commented, “We selected Veeco’s K465i MOCVD system because of its excellent system design and the good performance in the field. It is simply the best choice for high-volume production of LEDs. Given the increased demand for LEDs in such applications as general illumination, TV backlight and outdoor displays, we intend to ramp our production quickly. With a business partner like Veeco, we are confident we can meet the market demand.”

Bill Miller, Ph.D., Executive Vice President, General Manager of Veeco's MOCVD Operations, commented, “We are gratified to have the opportunity to work with Epilight as their MOCVD supplier for their LED production facility ramp. We believe that the China market will drive significant advancement of the LED industry, and Veeco, as the market-leading equipment provider in China, is well positioned to benefit from this growth.”

George Lucas' Legal Team Issues Cease and Desist Order to Producers of Laser
CompoundSemi News Staff

July 19, 2010...The creator of the Star Wars movies, George Lucas, has asked a company called Wicked Lasers to cease and desist production of it extremely dangerous blue laser "toy". Lucas, who owns the trademarks and copyrights of all things Star Wars contends that the blue laser being sold by Wicked Lasers looks very much like the "Light Sabers" wielded by the Jedi knights in the Star Wars movies. Lucas owns the Lightsaber trademark.

The device produced by Wicked Lasers is called the Artic Series Spyder III. It is 1 W blue laser created from a Casio projector. It can cut through materials, burn paper and cardboard and skin, cause blindness, and generally wreak havoc. However, unlike the an actual lightsaber would function, it cannot cut through anything including instantly cutting people in half.

Officials of Wicked Lasers based in Hong Kong were impressed with the cease and desist letter from the Lucas' legal team. However, instead of complying with the order, the company officials promptly put the letter on sale on Ebay. At last check, the letter had recieved 55 bids and the price had shot up to over $800.

Veeco Gets Orders For MOCVD Systems from Two Companies
CompoundSemi News Staff

July 19, 2010...Veeco of Plainview, New York USA, reports that Arima Optoelectronics Corporation of Taiwan has ordered multiple MOCVD systems. Veeco also announced that it has received an order from Neo Neon for its MOCVD system. Specifically Arima ordered several TurboDisc(R) K465i Gallium Nitride (GaN) and E475 Arsenic Phosphide (As/P) Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) Systems. Both MOCVD systems for Arima are for high-volume production of high-brightness LEDs. The E475 systems will be used to produce red, orange, and yellow LEDs. All of the LEDs will go towards TV and display backlighting.

Marco Kuo, President of Arima Optoelectronics, said, "Most of the systems will be installed in Shanxi Province, Northern China, where we have entered into an agreement with the local government to form a new joint venture company to manufacture LEDs for backlight applications."

Neo Neon's order is for its first Veeco TurboDisc(R) K465i MOCVD system to support its LED manufacturing capacity ramp at its JiangMen, China factory. Veeco received the order during the recently completed second quarter. Dr. Jurgen Yeh, Chief Technology Officer, commented, "Neo-Neon plans to expand our LED wafer output seven-fold over the next three years. We have decided to include Veeco's K465i MOCVD system in our plans due to its proven high productivity as well as the recent uniformity and repeatability advances that Veeco has achieved. " To fund its expansion, Neo-Neon has recently raised NT$2.06 billion (U.S. $64 million) through a share issuance in Taiwan.

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