Orders of MOCVD equipment from China LED makers are significantly large. Many of them place their orders with ten as their least procurement unit, says John R Peeler, Veeco’s CEO, at the opening ceremony of its Shanghai office. Veeco has already sold 85 units of MOCVD equipment in China, and the figure is expected to 100 soon.

AIXTRON AG announced that a further AIX 200/4 RF-S MOCVD system has been installed and successfully started operation at Tokuyama R&D center in Tsukuba, Japan. The reactor has already been shipped in the fourth quarter of 2008 and is being used by Tokuyama for the development of AlGaN-based ultra-violet light emitting diodes (UV-LEDs).

Veeco, a leading LED equipment provider, hosted a grand ceremony to celebrate the opening of its new Shanghai office on November 5th. Major upstream LED companies, including Taiwan’s Formosa Epitaxy Inc., HUGA Optotech Inc., Genesis Photonics Inc., GaN Epi, Inc., Crystal Applied Technology Inc., and mainland China-based SANAN Optoelectronics Co., Ltd., Epilight Technology Co., Ltd., Huaguang Optoelectronics Co., Ltd., Shenzhen Century Epitech LEDs Co., Ltd. and Dalian Luminglight Co., Ltd. all attended the ceremony.

Veeco Instruments Inc., announced that Sanan OptoElectronics of China has placed multiple tool orders for Veeco`s TurboDisc Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) Systems to expand their manufacturing capacity of high brightness light emitting diodes (HB-LEDs).

AIXTRON AG today announced the delivery and qualification of multiple CRIUS MOCVD systems at Neo-Neon, a major customer in PR China. Neo-Neon is one of the largest LED-based lighting companies in the world. Since 2005, the company began the R&D and production of white lighting technology their vertically-integrated approach resulting in a complete supply chain from front-end (epitaxy, chip process) to back-end (LED packaging and application).

Veeco Instruments Inc. announced yesterday that Bridgelux, Inc., a U.S. lighting company and leading supplier of energy-saving light-emitting diode (LED)-based light sources, has placed a multi-unit order for Veeco's TurboDisc® K465™ gallium nitride (GaN) Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) systems to support its production ramp.

Interview with Dr. Christian Geng, Vice President Greater China, General Manager AIXTRON Taiwan and Mr Bernd Wachtendorf, Director of Operations: Encouraged by lower sapphire substrate price, the 4 inch MOCVD equipment is expected to become mainstream next year.

AIXTRON AG recenlty announced that the Institute of Semiconductors of The Chinese Academy of Sciences, located in Beijing, PR China, has placed an order for one Close Coupled Showerhead (CCS) 3x2 inch MOCVD system. Ordered in the first quarter and to be shipped in third quarter 2009, the new tool will be used for the research and development of semiconductor lasers and LEDs.

AIXTRON AG yesterday announced that Hualei Optoelectronic Ltd., based in Hunan Province, P.R. China, has issued a purchase contract for multiple CRIUS(R) MOCVD systems. The tools for production of high brightness LEDs will be shipped from Q2/09 through Q4/09. This contract represents AIXTRON's largest ever single order for MOCVD systems from China. Part of this order has been recorded as order intake in Q1/2009.

Raysun Huaguang Optoelectronics Co., Ltd. of China has qualified gallium nitride (GaN) and arsenic phosphide (AsP) metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) systems from Veeco Instruments Inc., a tool provider in comprehensive fields, for high volume production of red and blue high-brightness light emitting diodes.

Aqualite Co. Ltd., a company based in Wuhan, China, has purchased three Close Coupled Showerhead (CCS) CRIUS MOCVD systems from AIXTRON AG, worldwide leading provider of deposition equipment to the semiconductor industry. It’s disclosed that the three CCS CRIUS systems were delivered in the 31x2 inch wafer configuration in the third and fourth quarter of 2008. Aqualite intends to utilize these reactors for the development and production of blue, green and white LED chips.

AIXTRON AG reported that in the fourth quarter 2008 the National Taiwan University (NTU) of Taiwan ordered one Close Coupled Showerhead 3x2" wafer Research Platform MOCVD system for research and development on GaN and related materials and devices and it will be delivered in the third quarter 2009.  

AIXTRON AG has received a triple order for MOCVD tools from a new Chinese manufacturer of LEDs Tonghui Electronics Corp. The order is for a AIX 2800G4 HT IC Planetary Reactor system, AIXTRON’s flagship reactor for large-scale manufacturing of LEDs and other advanced devices, and two AIX 2600G3 IC systems.

Recently, AIXTRON AG announced an order received in the second quarter 2008 for an MOCVD system from a new customer, Yangzhou Zhongke Semiconductor Lighting Center Co. Ltd. The Close Coupled Showerhead CRIUS system with 31x2" wafer configuration was delivered to Yangzhou Zhongke’s state of the art facility in the Yangzhou High-Tech Venture Services Center, PR China in the fourth quarter 2008. Its application will be for the development and volume production of UHB blue/green LEDs.

Veeco Instruments has to restructure its MOCVD systems business, as the downturn continues to take its toll on the wider semiconductor industry. At Veeco Q4 earnings call, John Peeler, CEO of the company, has announced its MOCVD systems operation in New Jersey would be hit by the latest move. He said their MOCVD systems business would go to a fully outsourced model by the end of the year. He also outlined a number of wider measures to cut costs, including a 26% reduction in workforce. Veeco will employ less than 1000 employees by the end of 2009.

Recently, Veeco Instruments Inc. (Nasdaq: VECO) announced that LG Innotek Co., Inc. of Korea, has ordered an additional four TurboDisc® K465™ gallium nitride (GaN) Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) Systems for HB-LED production. The orders were received in the fourth quarter of 2008.

Taiwan LED chips and products maker Opto Tech has decided to delay its factory construction in Ningbo, China. Opto Tech indicated the delay is for an unspecified period, and construction will begin when the business environment becomes favorable.

AIXTRON AG, a leading provider of deposition equipment to the semiconductor industry, is pleased to announce an order for a MOCVD system from Showa Denko K.K., a Japan based leading manufacturer of Ultra-High-Brightness (UHB) LEDs received in the first quarter 2008.

It’s reported that Taiwan’s DRAM chipmakers and backlight-module makers had announced aggressive investments in LED epitaxy-wafer production last year in anticipation of bright market future, touting to add a total of 100 metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) machines to the Taiwan industry. However, their optimism has been dampened by the global economic crisis, which has hamstrung consumer spending of various sectors including high-tech products like LED, DRAM and LCD TVs.

It’s reported that LED chipmaker Epistar Corp. has landed hefty contracts to build the chips for Samsung and begun shipping the chips last month.

It’s reported that Neo-Neon Holdings, one of the world's largest decorative lighting companies, plans to enter the LED chip-making sector, making it more vertically integrated. The company already has its own LED packaging capabilities and manufactures a wide range of LED lighting products.

It’s reported that India's US$1.5 billion lighting industry is growing 15% a year and bringing in new technologies. At the Light India International Exhibition and Conference early in 2008, the focus was on saving energy in lighting and the spotlight was on LEDs.

It’s reported that European research institute IMEC and Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corp. have agreed to develop manufacturing technology for high efficiency LED devices.

Recently, AIXTRON AG announced a multiple order from Century Epitech Corp, located in Shenzhen, China, one of China's leading players in the high brightness LED sector.

Recently, Aixtron announced an order from Formosa Epitaxy Inc. for further six CRIUS Close Coupled Showerhead MOCVD systems received in the first quarter of 2008. This order for our CRIUS CCS tools confirms the exceptional capabilities in the design and operation of these systems.Formosa Epitaxy Inc., one of Taiwan’s leading manufacturers of ultra high brightness LEDs, will use the systems for volume production of GaN-based UHB LEDs.

Recently, at Rubicon Technology’s 2Q08 earnings conference call with industry analysts, the company's president and CEO discussed the future of the LED market. 

AIXTRON AG is pleased to announce an order from the Ferdinand-Braun-Institut für Höchstfrequenztechnik (FBH) for an AIX 2600G3HT Planetary Reactor system with 8x4 inch capacity.FBH, located in Berlin, Germany, will use the system to strengthen its research and development activities in GaN based UV- LEDs, laser diodes and GaN HFETs.