Veeco
Instruments Inc. (Nasdaq: VECO) announced today the introduction of the
TurboDisc® K465i™ gallium nitride (GaN) Metal Organic Chemical Vapor
Deposition (MOCVD) System for the production of high-brightness light-emitting
diodes (HB LEDs). Veeco's industry-leading beta site customers rapidly qualified
the K465i for volume production, and the Company has received orders for the
system from multiple LED customers throughout the Asia Pacific region.
Based on Veeco's production-proven K-Series platform, the new TurboDisc
K465i combines the industry's highest productivity with the capability
to drive best-in-class LED yields approaching 90 percent in a 5nm bin. Fully
automated with only a short recovery period required after maintenance, the
TurboDisc K465i enables higher productivity and reduced cost of ownership compared
to competitive tools.
According to Bill Miller, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, General Manager of
Veeco's MOCVD business, "With superior wavelength uniformity and
excellent run-to-run repeatability, the K465i extends Veeco's lead in
capital efficiency – the number of good wafers per day for each capital
dollar – for high volume LED manufacturers. We are extremely pleased that
our beta site customers achieved world-class results in a very short period
of time. Industry interest in the K465i is strong."
John R. Peeler, Veeco's Chief Executive Officer, added, "The K-Series
is a robust, reliable, multi-generational MOCVD platform that is in production
at more than 80% of the world's key LED manufacturers. Veeco is committed
to advancing its leadership position by increasing R&D investment, introducing
innovative new technologies, ramping MOCVD production capacity, and partnering
with customers to maximize their LED manufacturing. The K465i MOCVD System is
the latest example of Veeco driving down the cost of LEDs to enable applications
such as display backlighting and general illumination."
Demand for HB LEDs is high and expected to increase in the coming years. In
an August 2009 report, "High-Brightness LED Market Review and Forecast
2009," research firm Strategies Unlimited forecast the HB LED market to
grow from $5.1 billion in 2008 to $14.9 billion in 2013, representing a compound
annual growth rate of 24%.
"Our research indicates the fundamental drivers for the HB LED market
have become even stronger in recent years as new applications for LEDs in lighting
and backlights continue to emerge," said Robert V. Steele, Director, LED
practice at Strategies Unlimited. "To meet the overwhelming demand that
we expect this will create over the next few years, LED makers will need to
quickly ramp up their manufacturing capabilities, including the addition of
substantial MOCVD capacity."
TurboDisc K465i: Uniformity and Repeatability by Design
At the heart of the TurboDisc K465i GaN MOCVD System is Veeco's patent
pending Uniform FlowFlange® technology. Designed to create a uniform alkyl
and hydride flow pattern across all wafers, the K465i delivers superior uniformity
and repeatability with the industry's lowest particle generation. The
FlowFlange's simplified design provides ease-of-tuning for fast process
optimization on wafer sizes up to 8 inches and fast tool recovery time after
maintenance for the LED industry's highest productivity.