WAFER SIZES MATTERS
Explore our future-proof technology and wafer sizes.
Size Matters
Transitioning from small to large sapphire wafers, i.e. moving from wafers with a diameter of 50 mm to those with a diameter of 100, 150, 200 or even 300 mm, offers significant advantages for chip processing. Larger wafers directly reduce handling, improve economies of scale and increase the usable surface area by reducing the edge exclusion zone. This translates into higher yields and a lower cost per chip. Moreover, larger wafers enable the use of advanced automation and process control tools, minimizing errors and further enhancing cost-effectiveness. Ultimately, this makes chip production, including that for LEDs, more efficient and affordable.
However, the benefits of large sizes can only be achieved by making a technological leap beyond the limits of the traditional methods of crystal growth. These have typically included both the heat exchanger (HEM) and Kyropoulos methods.
HEM was invented in the 1960s. It employs melt growth, with growth taking place upwards, and heat is exchanged with helium gas. The method is fast and economical but produces crystal of low quality and consumes crucibles.
The Kyropoulos method was invented in the 1970s. It also employs melt growth, combined with top seeding, pulling and natural cooling. This method consumes a large amount of power and seeding is carried out manually, which can be time-consuming. However, it produces crystals of good quality and coring has enabled the production of sapphire wafers with diameters of 50 and 100 mm.
Your Expert for Monolithic Sapphire Ingots
FAMETEC‘s McSAP, a modified HEM method introduced in 2012, offers low power consumption, high productivity, semi-automatic growth, and crystal growth along any axis. This directly translates into high-yield ingots, enabling 150, 200, and even 300 mm wafers without the need for perpendicular coring.
McSAP technology revolutionizes sapphire production with zero-emission sapphire semiconductor substrates (ZESSS) that boast superior qualities and yields. These large-diameter ingots are ideal for the semiconductor sapphire substrates employed in applications such as LEDs, miniLEDs, microLEDs and PowerGaN products.
With our partners ARCTIC Sapphire in Norway and Alpha Sapphire in Australia, we offer advantages in terms of supply chain stability and potential for close collaboration in both European, North American and Asian markets. Our commitment to traceability including product carbon footprint and robust quality management systems further ensures the consistent reliability of our sapphire materials.
THE MCSAP ADVANTAGE
Large Wafers made Possible
McSAP’s ability to grow high-quality crystals along the c-axis, combined with its high yield and minimal waste, makes it the ideal solution for large-scale sapphire wafer production.
This translates directly to FAMETEC‘s ability to offer:
- 150 mm sapphire wafers: currently available and in production
- 200 mm sapphire wafers: available and ready for integration into customer processes
DREAM BIGGER
If You can Dream it, We can Do it.
Future-proof technology: McSAP paves the way for the
development of even larger wafers up to 300 mm in
diameter, further maximizing the benefits in economy
and efficiency for chip manufacturers.
APPLICATIONS
Explore where Our Sapphire Ingots are in use
Our sapphire ingots contribute to notable performance enhancements in various industries, including electronics, optics, lighting, and other glass-related industries.