Aixtron delivers 3x2" CCS MOCVD system to Nagoya University for DUV opto device research

Deposition equipment maker Aixtron SE of Herzogenrath, near Aachen, Germany has delivered a Close Coupled Showerhead (CCS) system to Nagoya University in Japan. Installed at the university’s Institute of Materials and Systems for Sustainability (IMaSS), the 3x2-inch Flip Top CCS metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) platform is intended for research on gallium nitride (GaN)-based deep-ultraviolet (DUV) optoelectronic devices.

Nagoya University is a leading Japanese research institution for semiconductor materials, especially in the field of GaN-based structures. By focusing on the development of DUV devices using Aixtron’s 3x2-inch Flip Top CCS MOCVD tool, IMaSS is targeting a wide range of future-oriented applications in areas such as agriculture, health or water purification.

 

Source: Semiconductor TodayLINK

 

Q1/19 Gross Margin and Earnings exceed Expectations / 2019 Full-year Guidance confirmed

Orders and revenues in line with forecast / Positive exchange rate effects and improved product costs offset expected countervailing margin effects

Herzogenrath/Germany, April 30, 2019 - AIXTRON SE (FSE: AIXA), a leading provider of deposition equipment to the semiconductor industry, today announced its financial results for the first quarter 2019. 

• Revenues increased to EUR 68.7 million (+10%) compared to previous year
• Order intake reduced year-on-year to EUR 53.6 million (-32%)
• Gross profit of EUR 26.7 million stable compared to previous year
• Operating result (EBIT) up onprevious year to EUR 9.7 million (+23%)
• Operating expenses down further year-on-year (-10%) 

AIXTRON SE (AIXA.DE) XETRA - XETRA Delayed Price. Currency in EUR (30APR2019,Yahoo.com)

 

Business Development

The first quarter of 2019 was mainly influenced by the expected reluctance of customers to invest in the expansion of their production capacities. However, the prospects for our core optoelectronics and power electronics business are intact.

AIXTRON continues to anticipate an increasing demand for lasers in these areas due to increasing applications in 3D sensor technology, security infrastructure or optical data transmission as well as the increasing use of LEDs and special LEDs in display and other applications. In addition, the company expects an increased use of gallium nitride or silicon carbide-based devices for energy-efficient communication and energy management in automobiles, consumer electronics and mobile devices.

In organic electronics, the Group took a further step towards OVPD technology qualification during the first quarter of 2019 with the commissioning of the Gen2 OLED system on a customer pilot production line. In the coming months, the facility is expected to deliver test results that will serve as the customer's decision basis, support the customer's decision-making process, and further advance the development of the technology.

Applied Optoelectronics orders MOCVD technology from AIXTRON

Photonics manufacturer expands production into growing laser business with multiple AIX 2800G4 systems

Herzogenrath/Germany, 2 April, 2019 – AIXTRON SE (FSE: AIXA), a worldwide leading provider of deposition equipment to the semiconductor industry, today announced the delivery of multiple AIX 2800G4 systems to US-based photonic maker Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. (AOI) which focuses on the design, development, and manufacturing of advanced optical devices, packaged optical components, optical subsystems, laser transmitters, and fiber optic transceivers. The delivered tools feature a 12x4-inch configuration.

AIX 2800G4-TM

The AIX 2800G4 platform has established itself as the market-leading tool for high-volume production of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSEL) for 3D sensors and other diode lasers due to the matchless performance of the Planetary Reactor® concept with respect to thickness and wavelength uniformity control of epitaxial layers. The system provides incomparably high efficiency in handling the expensive chemicals used for MOCVD processes while delivering maximum production yield of premium level laser devices. In addition to the excellent reproducibility of each individual system, customers also appreciate the very good repeatability amongst systems.

Dr. Klaus Anselm, Vice President of Semiconductor Products at AOI, comments: "Following our good experience with AIXTRON systems in the past, we will also utilize the proven Planetary® technology from Germany for our production expansion. The AIX 2800G4 has convinced us in all test phases, so that we are now looking forward to use the system for launching volume production of our next generation of optoelectronic components."

"We are very pleased that AOI has added our market-leading AIX 2800G4 tool to its existing manufacturing equipment. A system that has acquired a reputation over the past few years as the tool of record for the production of high-quality laser devices in the semiconductor industry. We are looking forward to the collaboration with AOI," says Dr. Bernd Schulte, President of AIXTRON SE.

Aixtron full-year revenue up 40% organically to €268.8m

[Semiconductor Today] For fourth-quarter 2018, deposition equipment maker Aixtron SE of Herzogenrath, near Aachen, Germany has reported revenue of €87.9m, up 39% on €63.4m last quarter and up 62.5% on €54.1m a year ago.

Full-year revenue was €268.8m in 2018 (exceeding the guidance of €260m). This is up 17% on €230.4m in 2017, or up 40% organically excluding the €38.8m from the atomic layer deposition/chemical vapor deposition (ALD/CVD) product line (for memory chip applications) that was divested at the end of 2017.

In particular, equipment revenue grew by 18% from €188m to €221.8m (remaining 82% of total revenue), while sales of spare parts & services rose by 11% from €42.4m to €47.1m (18% of total revenue).

Of equipment revenue, the proportion from metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) systems for manufacturing optoelectronic components (i.e. lasers and solar, excluding LEDs) rebounded from 25% to 66% (growing from €47.8m to €147m), driven by strong demand for vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs). Despite continuing strong demand for red-orange-yellow (ROY) LEDs and specialty LEDs, systems for producing LEDs fell from 42% to just 16% (from €79.1m to €36m). Systems for manufacturing power electronics fell from 11% to 8% (from €20.4m to €18.2m).

Source: Semiconductor Today LINK

AIXTRON Provides Its Systems to Support San'an Optoelectronics' Expansion of ROY LED production

AIXTRON announced that the company will supply multiple AIX 2800G4-TM (IC2) cluster systems to San'an Optoelectronics. The Chinese chipmaker with its long-term plan for the rising market demands for fine pitch displays requires a capacity increase in red, orange and yellow LEDs (ROY LEDs). AIXTRON's AIX 2800G4-TM (IC2) tools will feature a configuration of 15x4 inches and are scheduled for shipment between 4Q18 and 2Q19. 

Source: Aixtron LINK

AIXTRON's automated Planetary Reactor® platform has been established as the tool of reference for arsenide-phosphide-based ROY LEDs due to its unique production performance and high manufacturing capacity (AIX 2800G4-TM system).

AIXTRON Provides Its AIX G5+ C to PlayNitride for Micro LED Production

AIXTRON announced that it has signed a Joint Collaboration Agreement with PlayNitride to accelerate technical and commercial breakthroughs of Micro LED. AIXTRON’s AIX G5+ C MOCVD system will be adopted by PlayNitride for the manufacturing of GaN-based (gallium nitride) Micro LEDs.

PlayNitride has presented Micro LED displays with high resolution and supplied its Micro LED chips to Samsung for the 75-inch Micro LED display demonstrated at CES 2019. By signing a joint collaboration agreement, AIXTRON and PlayNitride will join forces to technically and commercially enable the decisive step forward to unlock the potential markets.

 

Source: LEDinside LINK

BluGlass enters collaboration with global equipment leader, AIXTRON SE

Australian technology innovator, BluGlass Limited (ASX: BLG) has today announced that it will collaborate with global semiconductor equipment leader, AIXTRON SE (FSE: AIXA), to evaluate BluGlass’ unique remote plasma chemical vapour deposition (RPCVD) technology.

BluGlass has selected the AIX 2800G4-HT system for the scaling of RPCVD to mass production capacities. AIXTRON’s Planetary Reactor® delivers class leading semiconductor film uniformity due to its proprietary dual axis of wafer rotation during deposition. RPCVD technology enables low temperature deposition of III-V nitrides which could potentially improve the performance of devices. The first integration of RPCVD onto the AIX 2800G4-HT will be conducted at BluGlass’ Silverwater facility in Sydney, Australia.

BluGlass’ Managing Director Giles Bourne said today, “We are very pleased to have the support from AIXTRON for this major scaling project of our technology. This is an important step towards demonstrating the commercial viability of RPCVD in large scale manufacturing.”

AIXTRON’s Group Innovation Officer, Dr Ken Teo, adds, “At AIXTRON, we are constantly striving to bring novel technologies onto our platforms in order to provide our customers with advanced capabilities. We want to explore the potential of RPCVD technology for low temperature deposition of nitride layers which may open up new possibilities for opto/electronic devices; we look forward to working with BluGlass in integrating RPCVD and evaluating the technology”.

 

Source: BlueGlass LINK

China's InnoScience orders Aixtron AIX G5+ C MOCVD systems for manufacturing 650V GaN-on-Si devices

 

Deposition equipment maker Aixtron SE of Herzogenrath, near Aachen, Germany is to deliver multiple AIX G5+ C MOCVD systems to China's InnoScience Technology Co Ltd for the development of gallium nitride (GaN) power devices, which are increasingly favored over silicon power devices due to their superior performance at high frequency. All Aixtron cluster tools will feature a 5x200mm-wafer configuration and will be shipped by second-quarter 2019.

 

Source: Semiconductor Today LINK

EpiGaN Increases Production with AIXTRON's MOCVD Equipment

EpiGaN, the Belgian GaN-on-Si and GaN-on-SiC epitaxial wafer provider, has ordered a new AIX G5+ C system from AIXTRON to expand its production capability for large size wafer.

 

The new AIXTRON AIX G5+ C reactor will be installed at EpiGaN’s manufacturing site in Hasselt Belgium in the first quarter of 2019 and start to operate afterwards. The fully automated Planetary® MOCVD system features in-situ chamber cleaning and enables configurations of 8x6 inch or 5x8 inch epitaxial wafers to be automatically loaded and removed by a cassette-to-cassette wafer transfer module.

Source: LEDinside LINK

AIXTRON continues profitable growth in Q3/2018

Strong demand for power electronics, laser and ROY LED applications boosts order intake / Earnings expectation increased.

Order intake including spare parts and service improved by 16% over the previous year in 9M/2018 to EUR 230.3m. This positive development is mainly due to the continued demand for MOCVD systems for the production of power electronics and lasers such as surface-emitting (VCSEL, Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser) or edge-emitting (EEL, Edge Emitting Laser) lasers for applications in 3D sensing or optical data transmission as well as red, orange and yellow (ROY) LEDs. 

"In this fiscal year, we are benefiting from the increasing market penetration of new display and communication technologies worldwide. Our MOCVD systems for ROY LEDs and laser applications such as VCSEL or EEL, which are particularly in demand in the field of 3D sensor technology or optical data transmission, have established themselves as technically leading systems. The growing orders from power electronics are due to the increasing use of components based on gallium nitride or silicon carbide for energy-efficient communication, automotive energy management, consumer electronics and mobile devices," added Dr. Felix Grawert, President of AIXTRON SE.

Source: Aixtron (LINK)

Investor presentation : https://seekingalpha.com/article/4215985-aixtron-se-2018-q3-results-earnings-call-slides?app=1&dr=1

 

Earnings call transcript: https://seekingalpha.com/article/4216135-aixtron-se-aixxf-q3-2018-results-earnings-call-transcript?part=single

Aixtron and Iruja Co. Ltd. sign JV agreement

A Joint Venture agreement signed by Aixtron SE, Germany and Iruja Co. Ltd., South Korea covers the investment in Apeva, Aixtron's subsidiary for OLED deposition technologies. Closing of the Joint Venture Agreement is expected during 2018. 

 

A major Asian OLED display maker is currently evaluating OVPD (Organic Vapor Phase Deposition) based technology together with APEVA: A Gen1-size prototype has been operating at the customer's facility for well over a year. A larger-scale Gen2-size prototype is currently being installed in the customer facility. In the event of the successful qualification of the equipment, a customer order for a first production size OVPD deposition chamber is expected to be received in 2019.

 

Source: Evertiq Read full article »

Plessey Chooses AIX G5+ C MOCVD Tool for GaN-on-Silicon Monolithic MicroLEDs Display Innovation

AIXTRON SE (FSE: AIXA), a worldwide leading provider of deposition equipment to the semiconductor industry, has received an order from Plessey Semiconductors for the company’s AIX G5+ C Planetary Reactor®. The metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) system will boost Plessey’s manufacturing capability of gallium nitride on silicon (GaN-on-Si) wafers targeting next-generation microLED applications.

With an automatic cassette-to-cassette (C2C) wafer transfer module, the new AIXTRON reactor will be installed and operational during Q1 of 2019 at Plessey’s 270,000 square feet fabrication facility located in Plymouth, UK. The AIX G5+ C MOCVD system has two separate chamber set-up options, which enables configurations of 8x6 inch or 5x8 inch GaN-on-Si wafers to be automatically loaded and removed from the system in an enclosed cassette environment. The system will be an addition to the company’s existing metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) reactors, also supplied by AIXTRON, which provide configurations of 7x6 inch or 3x8 inch with manual loading.

Productivity is further enhanced by the new reactor’s automated self-cleaning technology, which helps to deliver a very low level of wafer defects by ensuring the reactor is clean on every run, significantly reducing downtime for maintenance. The new equipment also provides faster ramp and cool down along with a high susceptor unload temperature to reduce the recipe time.

Aixtron: HLJ Technology Adds MOCVD Technology from AIXTRON

New customer will use AIX 2800G4-TM system to increase manufacturing capacity and epitaxial wafer size. AAIXTRON SE announced that HLJ Technology Co., Ltd., a Taiwanese VCSEL epitaxy and chip manufacturer, has ordered multiple AIX 2800G4-TM MOCVD sets to increase its wafer capacity as well as its epitaxial wafer size production line from 4-inch to 6-inch for high-volume manufacturing of vertical-cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSEL). AIXTRON’s fully automated Planetary Reactor systems will be supplied in 8x6-inch configuration in the course of Q4/2018 and beyond.

Source: LINK

Changelight orders additional AIXTRON systems

Company expands MOCVD capacity for ROY fine pitch and mini LEDs with AIXTRON's flagship product AIX 2800G4-TM

AIXTRON SE (FSE: AIXA), a worldwide leading provider of deposition equipment to the semiconductor industry, is supplying additional leading-edge MOCVD technology to Xiamen Changelight Co, Ltd (Changelight). Thus, the Chinese company is expanding its production capacities for arsenide-phosphide-based red, orange and yellow LEDs (ROY LED) and solar cells by several AIX 2800G4-TM cluster systems. The tools will be delivered to the customer between Q3/2018 and Q1/2019. 

All production systems have a wafer configuration of 15x4 inches, which enables maximum yield at the highest quality level. Due to its unique production performance and the high manufacturing capacity of AIXTRON's automated Planetary Batch Reactor concept, the AIX 2800G4-TM has established itself as a reference system for the production of ROY LEDs in recent years.

Jin Zhangyu, president of Xiamen Changelight, said: "We have been using AIXTRON's equipment technology to manufacture advanced optoelectronic devices for years and therefore, have great confidence in the AIX 2800G4-TM. The outstanding performance of the system in terms of wafer homogeneity and efficiency in material consumption combined with maximum flexibility and versatility in production will help us to position Changelight as one of the world's leading suppliers of ROY LED for fine pitch, mini LED and micro LED applications."

 

Source: Aixtron (LINK)

Aixtron: VPEC expands capacities with Aixtron technology

Taiwanese epi foundry, Visual Photonics Epitaxy Co. Ltd. (VPEC), chooses Aixtron MOCVD systems to meet growing demand for lasers and other devices.

Aixtron will deliver all AIX 2800G4 reactors with an 8x6-inch wafer configuration for maximum yield at high quality levels.

“Aixtron is the leading provider of high-volume manufacturing equipment for arsenide phosphide (AsP) based materials. As a proven tool for high-volume production in the area of photonic applications, the AIX 2800G4 system delivers exactly the outstanding uniformity and reproducibility, but also flexibility and versatility that we require as an epi foundry to serve the needs of our demanding customers,” Neil Chen, Senior Vice President of VPEC, says in the release.

“Driven by the growing number of applications and the continuing penetration of high-end communication technology, the demand for arsenide phosphide based optoelectronic devices such as VCSELs or datacom lasers is expected to increase further. Based on a longstanding and trustful relationship with VPEC, we are looking forward to support the growth of one of the leading epi foundries in Asia”, says Dr. Bernd Schulte, President of Aixtron SE.

Source: Evertiq LINK

Aixtron: Aixtron's orders grow 20% in Q1, driven by MOCVD systems for lasers in 3D sensing and datacoms

For first-quarter 2018, deposition equipment maker Aixtron SE of Herzogenrath, near Aachen, Germany has reported revenue of €62.4m, up 15% on €54.1m last quarter and 16% on €53.6m a year ago, driven by demand for metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) systems for making lasers such as vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) in 3D sensing as well as lasers for optical datacom applications.

Specifically, equipment revenue was €50.8m, up 17% on €43.5m a year ago (remaining 81% of total revenue). Meanwhile, revenue from spare parts & services has grown by 15% from €10.1m a year ago to €11.6m. 

 

Of equipment revenue, the proportion from MOCVD systems for the production of LEDs (including red-orange-yellow ‘ROY’ and specialty LEDs) shrank from 52% to just 14% (after selling its inventory of AIX R6 gallium nitride blue LED systems) and Power Electronics fell from 19% to 11%, while systems for the production of Optoelectronics (excluding LEDs) have proliferated from just 7% to 70%. This is after systems for Silicon comprised 20% of revenue a year ago, including the atomic layer deposition/chemical vapor deposition (ALD/CVD) product line for memory chip production (based at US subsidiary Aixtron Inc in Sunnyvale, CA, USA) that was sold to Eugene Technology Inc in November.

Source: Semiconductor Today LINK

Azur Space adds customized Aixtron AIX 2800G4 8x6"-wafer MOCVD system to expand production of space and concentrator solar cells

 

Deposition equipment maker Aixtron SE of Herzogenrath, near Aachen, Germany is providing its latest metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) technology to aerospace supplier Azur Space Solar Power GmbH of Heilbronn, Germany (a long time user of Aixtron’s planetary technology).

 

The customized AIX 2800G4 series system with an 8x6”-wafer configuration (delivery in second-quarter 2018) will further expand production of highly efficient multi-III-V space and concentrator solar cells, which are mainly used in the solar panels of satellites.

Source: Semiconductor Today LINK

Aixtron returned to annual profit in 2017 after sale of ALD/CVD product line

[Semiconductor today] For fourth-quarter 2017, deposition equipment maker Aixtron SE of Herzogenrath, near Aachen, Germany has reported revenue of €54.1m, down 13% on €62.2m last quarter and 39.8% on €89.8m a year ago.

However, full-year revenue was still €230.4m, up 17% on 2016’s €196.5m, and slightly exceeding the guidance of €220-230m. “2017 was a good year for Aixtron, with revenues and orders at the best levels since 2011,” notes VP of finance & administration Charles Russell.

In particular, equipment revenue grew by 21% from €155.7m to €188m (rising from 79% to 82% of total revenue), while sales of spare parts & services rose by just 4% from €40.8m to €42.4m (falling from 21% to 18% of total revenue). 

 

Full article : LINK

 

 

 

 

Aixtron complete sale of ALD/CVD memory product line to Eugene Technology

AIXTRON SE (FSE: AIXA), one of the world’s leading providers of deposition equipment to the semiconductor industry, announced today that the sale of AIXTRON’s ALD and CVD memory product line to Eugene Technology Inc., a wholly owned U.S. subsidiary of Eugene Technology Co., Ltd, South Korea was completed as of November 15, 2017. 

The QXP-8300 Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) mini-batch system suitable for e.g. high-k oxide films in advanced memory applications including 3D structure devices (aixtron.com)

AIXTRON will receive c. USD 60 million for the assets being transferred and c. USD 11 million for open supplier orders for which it retains the liability to pay.

AIXTRON, Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of AIXTRON SE situated in Santa Clara, California, will continue to provide sales and support for its continuing businesses.

Aixtron's sale of ALD/CVD Product Line to Eugene Technology in South Korea gets US approval

Aixtron SE (AIXG), announced Tuesday that the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States or CFIUS has approved the sale of ALD and CVD memory product line. 

Eugene Technology CEO Eom Pyeong-yong (left) and Aixtron CEO Kim Schindelhauer pose for a photo holding their contract. (Picture credit: Pulse by Maeil Business Newspaper & mk.co.kr LINK)

The company noted that the investigation by the CFIUS of the sale of AIXTRON's ALD and CVD memory product line to Eugene Technology in South Korea resulted in a determination that there are no unresolved U.S. national security concerns from CFIUS' perspective.

Full report: LINK