Plessey Gains GaN on Silicon Technology by Acquiring CamGaN
Plessey has acquired CamGaN Limited, which is a University of Cambridge spin-out formed to commercialize technologies for the growth of gallium nitride (GaN) high-brightness LEDs on large-area silicon substrates. The large lattice mismatch between GaN and silicon is one of the biggest technological challenges preventing the commercialization of HB LEDs grown on large-area silicon substrates. The new GaN-on-silicon process can overcome this issue.
The new HB LED solution enables the growth of thin HB LED structures on standard, readily available, silicon substrates. Current technologies use silicon carbide (SiC) or sapphire substrates, which are expensive and difficult to scale-up. The GaN-on-silicon solution offers cost reductions of the order of 80% compared to LEDs grown on SiC or sapphire by reducing scrap rates, minimizing batch time and enabling the use of automated semiconductor processing equipment. These cost reductions will be achieved while enabling outputs in excess of 150 lumens per watt later this year.
The acquisition of CamGaN will enable Plessey to exploit synergies with its 6-inch processing facility in Plymouth, England to produce HB LEDs based on CamGaN’s proprietary 6-inch GaN-on-silicon technology. According to Plessey, this acquisition positions it among the first commercial players to successfully manufacture HB LEDs on 6-inch silicon substrates.
More info: Plessey Semiconductors Limited
If you are familiar with RSS feeds, you can also sign up for our free news feed. Our RSS feed is updated in real-time while our newsletter is updated daily.
