iLED iLED, October issue : 6
O C T O B E R 2 0 1 1 I S S U E N ° 2 I n D u s T R y R E V I E w AIXTRON G5 HT planetary reactor, 56x2 inch configuration. (Courtesy of Aixtron) Bulked-up MOCVD tools set to squash solid-state lighting costs Larger reactors and training centres to help bring them online will help LED producers get the best value from epitaxy, equipment producers Aixtron, Veeco Instruments (Veeco), and Jusung Engineering tell Andy Extance. “In a cost-of-ownership analysis, the biggest benefit, whatever we develop, is providing a larger platform”, says Rainer Beccard, Aixtron T hough it may seem, with recent developments in LED manufacturing, that starting up a new chipmaker is as simple as turning on a solid-state lightbulb, don’t be deceived. The far-reaching impact that recent heavy Chinese investment in MOCVD equipment used to produce LEDs could have is appropriately causing much discussion. For existing manufacturers, the fact that growth in the LED backlighting market is slowing at the same time as the added competition arrives multiplies the cause for concern. But despite the challenges this poses established producers, new entrants face an equally tough time, as the universal drop-off in demand for MOCVD reactors shows. “The MOCVD equipment market is in a digestion phase,” explained Kae Huang, director of global marketing at Jusung Engineering, which claims to be the largest Korea-headquartered semiconductor industry capital equipment provider. “At the ground level it's quite evident that many companies are pushing out tool shipments. Tools that have arrived are often still not in production. Even if they're in production, they're still very unstable. About half of the world’s demand for MOCVD tools is going to China, mostly 2-inch based and many going to new fabs. The lack of experienced engineers in China exacerbates the digestion process.” Huang underlined that it will take time before the overcapacity in China is fully engaged in manufacturing. “It's going to be a while,” he told iLED. “The recent slow down in LED chip demand is relieving the pressure to ramp up quickly though. 6 i L E D
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