Technical Insight
Union Miniere changes name to Umicore (Materials and Equipment)
The Belgian producer of polished germanium wafers Union Miniere has changed its name to Umicore. Management at the company said that the old name did not reflect the scope of its current operations. The company is still divided into three business groups: zinc, copper and precious metals, and the advanced materials group which includes its germanium products. Umicore s germanium products include crystals, wafers and infrared transparent lenses and windows. The germanium wafers are used as substrates in the epitaxial growth of photovoltaic devices and are also being investigated as a cheaper alternative to GaAs for growing metamorphic HEMTs (see page 57).
