Veeco reveals "futureproof" MOCVD reactor
Veeco Instruments says that its new line of "K-series" MOCVD reactors feature an easily upgradeable design that will enable compatibility with future characterization or processing modules.
The company, which also designs and sells MBE equipment, added that it had already sold five of the new systems to three high-brightness LED manufacturers in orders worth around $10 million.
The K300 and K465 tools for GaN device manufacturing are claimed to offer 50 per cent greater throughput compared with similar production tools on the market, as well as reconfigurable reactor and source modules.
Veeco also claims that the K300 system also features the industry's only fully automated 4-port expansion-ready hub for future equipment upgrades.
At the heart of the new systems is the familiar TurboDisc GaNzilla II reactor. An automated hot carrier transfer system allows wafer carriers to be loaded at any time during the process cycle, with the reactor remaining under vacuum.
This transfer system runs at about 300°C, with no changes to any parts required between individual processing runs.
Veeco CEO Ed Braun said that one of the key aspects of the K-series systems was its ability to meet future requirements of LED manufacturers as chip performance demands continue to evolve:
"Veeco's new platform will give our HB-LED customers a long-term cost-of-ownership advantage, plus the technology to achieve their LED brightness roadmap objectives."
Veeco and its rival Aixtron have both reported very strong orders for MOCVD equipment in recent months, as chip manufacturers gear up and develop new volume processes to make LED chips for applications that place a high demand on performance, such as LCD backlighting and car headlamps.
Towards the end of the current decade, the demands of general lighting applications will likely require even better performance from chip manufacturers and their MOCVD reactors.
