Showa Denko’s New Process for Compound Semiconductor

Showa Denko announced on Tuesday the firm developed new process for making high quality compound semiconductors based on gallium nitride and other nitrides to meet growing demand mainly for use in blue-white light emitting diode (LED). The Hybrid PPD process is combination of traditional metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) and the original proprietary plasma assisted physical deposition (PPD) to make nitride based semiconductor crystal. The process enables production for high quality epitaxial wafer with 4 inches. The firm triples the output capacity at Chiba plant by the end of 2007 entering into liquid crystal backlight and general illumination market The new process can make fine crystal as MOCVD and produces less particles along with the better stability of epitaxial of emission layer. The process has better productivity and enables larger wafer though with MOCVD process, the production was hard for LED with 4 inches wafer. The firm builds new 4-inch wafer LED making facilities with the new process in Chiba plant. With the investment, the blue LED output capacity increases to 100 million units by the end of 2007 from current 30 million units. The firm replaces the current lines for 2-inch wafer with 4-inch lines by the end of 2007.