Crystal IS and Asahi Kasei Announce First 4-inch Aluminum Nitride Substrate
Crystal IS has achieved 4-inch (100 mm) diameter bulk aluminum nitride substrate
August 21, 2023
Crystal IS, Inc.
Crystal IS, an Asahi Kasei company, today announced the successful production of a 4-inch (100 mm) diameter single-crystal aluminum nitride (AlN) substrate. This is the first reported aluminum nitride substrate at this size1 and demonstrates the scalability of Crystal IS processes for growing AlN bulk single-crystals to meet production demands for this semiconductor material.
Aluminum nitride substrates have low defect densities, high UV transparency, and low concentrations of impurities. AlN is attractive for a variety of industries, such as UVC LEDs and power devices, due to its ultra-wide bandgap and very high thermal conductivity. The 4-inch substrate produced shows a usable area of over 80% based on current requirements for UVC LEDs.
Crystal IS 4-inch (100 mm) diameter bulk aluminum nitride substrate comparison
“We are extremely excited to announce the achievement of a 4-inch bulk aluminum nitride substrate,” said Dr. Naohiro Kuze, Executive Fellow at the Research Laboratory of Advanced Science and Technology, Asahi Kasei. “This accomplishment signifies that aluminum nitride is commercially viable for new industries beyond just UVC LEDs.”
Founded in 1997 to develop native aluminum nitride substrates, Crystal IS manufactures UVC LEDs on its commercial process for 2-inch diameter substrates. These LEDs enable industry-leading reliability and performance at the ideal germicidal wavelengths from 260 nm – 270 nm. The current capacity of the facility can meet the volume requirements for consumer devices using UVC LEDs based on the existing 2-inch production line.
“This indicates the scalability of our processes to deliver quality devices on aluminum nitride,” said Eoin Connolly, President and CEO of Crystal IS. “We are proud of the team’s accomplishment and its impact on the semiconductor industry as a whole.”
Crystal IS currently produces thousands of 2-inch substrates annually to support the production of its Klaran and Optan product lines. The commercialization of 4-inch AlN substrates will quadruple the device output of the existing footprint of the Green Island facility. It will also enable the development of new applications on aluminum nitride substrates as it integrates into existing fabrication lines for power and RF devices using alternative materials.
Crystal IS presented the progress on 4-inch substrates earlier this month at the 23rd American Conference on Crystal Growth and Epitaxy in Tucson, Arizona. For more information on aluminum nitride and Crystal IS products, visit https://cisuvc.com or contact pr@cisuvc.com.
- 1Based on Asahi Kasei's assessment of published reports.