LED Sapphire Substrate

Sapphire (Al2O3, the English called Sapphire) is made of gallium nitride (GaN) epitaxial main substrate material

sapphire substrate

emitting layer, GaN can be used to produce ultra-high brightness blue, green, blue-green, white LED. 1993 Nichia (Nichia) developed a gallium nitride (GaN) as a material for blue LED, with MOVPE (metal organic vapor phase epitaxy) epitaxial technology, can produce high-brightness blue LED. 

Alumina composition sapphire (A12O3) is composed of three aluminum atoms and two oxygen atoms covalently binding type crystal structure of hexagonal crystal structure with the sapphire optical penetrate a wide range from the near UV (190nm ) to have a very good mid-infrared transmittance, and have loud-speed, high temperature resistance, corrosion resistance, high hardness, high melting point (20,452 degrees C), etc., often as optoelectronic component materials. On the ultra-high brightness white / blue LED GaN epitaxial quality depends (GaN) material quality, so the quality of the sapphire substrate surface finish used on sapphire (single crystal A12O3) C plane and III-V and II- VI of the lattice constant mismatch between the film deposition rate is small, consistent with GaN epitaxial process temperature requirements, so the production of the sapphire substrate becomes white / blue / green LED of the key material. 

Sapphire blue LED crystal grains of the material long cut from sapphire crystal rod is made of sapphire crystal rod is aluminum oxide (Al2O3) single crystal as a basis for long crystal, crystal pulling method adopted foster growth, nurturing approach because each Different manufacturers have different purity parameters. 

Sapphire Dan Changjing technology is not yet unified, multi-key technology from the United States, Japan, Russia and vendor master, which the United States and Japan have reservations for crystal growth technology that is difficult to obtain key technologies from other countries, so the Taiwanese manufacturers technology mainly from Russia. Is to Chaishi pulling method (CZ) crystal growth and the Kjeldahl method (KY) as a mainstream technology, one of the most mature and most mainstream KY method, the drill rate of 40-42%, the 28 kg boules terms long grain it takes about 10 days time, and 65 kg of need 12-14 days, large kg of boules is not required to spend time much higher, but there is yield intractable problems. 

Status of The Sapphire Substrate

In 2008 the amount of global sapphire substrate 2 one million, to October 2009

sapphire substrate

monthly amount reached 1.5 million.

Global sapphire substrate size to 2 inches highest proportion of Taiwanese manufacturers are thus based, while Japanese companies are mostly 3-inch, Korean firms are a considerable proportion of 4 inches, due to the fourth quarter of 2010 a considerable proportion of the 4-inch MOCVD machine to be delivered, will result in 4-inch board stock.

4-inch MOCVD crystal growth process has led to fragmentation rate tends to curl problem, but has been gradually overcome, expected in 2010 will be four-inch increase in the proportion of products phenomenon.

TRI statistics, 2010 LED TV market penetration rate of 20.3%, to 2014 is expected to reach 100 percent penetration, and LED-backlit LCD TV shipments increased to 260 million units in 2014. In terms of an LED-backlit LCD TV sets need 300-500 pcs LED projections, by 2014, the global TV backlight will need to use about 78 billion -1300 one hundred million LED, which is needed 710-1180 MOCVD machine has sufficient . 2010 global new MOCVD machine number of 720 units, an increase of 232% compared to 2009, while in 2010 the global number of new units MOCVD machine will eat more than the global demand for LED-backlit TV nearly 70 percent, with South Korea, Taiwan and China add up to machines, accounting for 36% of the total added respectively, 32% and 26%.

Taiwan's top five LED grain plants, Pan Jing Power Group to expand production capacity by integrating, in 2010 the number of MOCVD machine pan Epistar Group of 291 units, a leading, global Epistar 2011 new machine will then continued to increase, is expected to drive the upstream sapphire substrates and other materials ingot tight supply and demand. South Korea's Samsung and Taiwan LED makers Epistar, Formosa Epitaxy, Canton Ga, Thai Valley, etc., and China LED factory has expansion plans. Lu plant also includes Xiamen Sanan, Shanghai Sapphire, emblem of Swaziland, crystal energy, BYD, BDO Runda. According to research firm estimates that the continent in 2009 to purchase more than 200 sets of MOCVD machine, switchboard number of units to grow 1.5 times more than in 2008, the new machine is expected to come on stream in late 2010 to 2011.

2009 global LED sapphire substrate was $ 150 million value, estimated 2013 value of up to $ 392 million, 2005-2013 compound annual growth rate of 19%, mainly used in Asia as the region of the sapphire substrate, Taiwan's largest Youyi accounting for 46% of demand weighed, Korea accounted for 28%, Japan 17%.

2010 first quarter, the sapphire substrate proportion accounted for epitaxial plant costs about 10% growth in the second quarter to 14 percent, rose sharply Q3, making the sapphire substrate accounts for 15% to 20% of the adjusted cost ratio, 4Q continued price hikes, Cost proportion of about 20% to 30%.

Taiwan LED market size, 2-inch sapphire substrate specifications to estimate, in 2010 sapphire substrate with about 9 1000000-1 thousand ten thousand. Estimated in 2011 the world will have more than 1,400 sets of MOCVD, sapphire crystal rod demand is about 2300 ~ 24000000 mm demand.

LED Sapphire Substrate Areas

Market has gradually out of the past two years prices have continued to fall oversupply situation, especially by the

sapphire substrate

downstream extension of the chip industry's capacity utilization improved rapidly, sapphire substrate price is picking up in the first three quarters of this year. 

Meanwhile, based on the high-end PSS substrate process equipment and technology requirements are very high, and the majority of domestic enterprises with limited hardware processing conditions, next year will be even more obvious sapphire market polarization. In addition, with LED epitaxial chip companies gradually shift from the past 2 inches to 4 inches and other craft larger, the sapphire substrate market will be affected by this drive, market opportunities and competitive focus will gradually shift to large-sized field. 

Market volatility sapphire industry is still in the stage of many factors, the sapphire substrate enterprises should be cautious expansion, stable performance and quality of their products, a good grasp of the market rhythm.

Sapphire Overcapacity

October 2012,Nanjing High Accurate Drive Equipment Manufacturing Group Co., high-brightness LED sapphire substrate project groundbreaking . Project a fixed asset investment of 10 billion yuan, the construction scale of not less than 160 Taiwan Sapphire Dan Changjing furnace, within two years of production.

Optical crystal (SZ.002273) report, the company at the end of 2010 the project started to invest in LED sapphire substrate , the current form sapphire flat monthly production capacity of 200,000 pieces , sapphire PSS monthly production capacity of 50,000 scale.

Sanan Optoelectronics Crystal Ann 's Optical Co., Ltd. , Fujian Anxi County in the construction of industrial projects LED sapphire substrate , recently also started mass production . Projects a total investment of 2.538 billion yuan , the construction period of three years, the project introduces crystal growth furnace 410 Taiwan ( sets ) and other related process equipment, designed annual production capacity of sapphire substrate 12 million.

Sapphire Dan Changjing furnace

Founded in November 2010 in Guizhou Haotian Optoelectronics is planning to fully completed by the end of 2014 , after the completion of an annual output of 30 million LED sapphire substrate material scale.

And just this month , another listed company Tiantonggufen (SH.600330) passed the " on the company to target specific non -public offering plan of the motion ," the company intends to invest an annual fund-raising through the issuance of 1,150,000 4 inches LED sapphire substrate material technology projects and supplement working capital.

GLII statistics show that only 2011 new LED sapphire substrate Dan Changjing and the number of projects reached 26 , as of the end of the third quarter of 2012 the number of new projects is 14 . Currently under construction Sapphire Dan Changjing project about two inches capacity sapphire substrate 100 million years , and the current actual market demand is just over 1000 million. Some of the epitaxial enterprises in the use of imported products , so the domestic severe overcapacity sapphire substrate.

"Now the sapphire substrate serious excess capacity , the price is low , many companies have slowed down the progress of investment expansion , direct impact on the sales of crystal growth furnace ." When asked about last year's sales situation, the crystal growth furnace company official said.

"Customer sign a long single more, supply and demand situation has improved ." Tiantonggufen Marketing Director Guoyue Bo said that , since opening orders improved, the amount of customer orders plus trend. The next three months sales and prices are on the rise . Insiders said that the downturn in the sapphire substrate prices are now so many companies lose money , are hoping this year epitaxial wafer fab capacity utilization can be improved, driven by a sapphire substrate sales and prices rise. But this year a good start can be maintained long , is a known issue.

LED Sapphire Substrate Domestic Overcapacity Crystal Growth Furnace Caught "Survival Technique"

" One side is GT, ARC and other foreign manufacturers of extrusion, the other side is the sapphire substrate excess capacity, demand, prices have been falling , domestic manufacturers of crystal growth furnace is now survive in the cracks , and development ." Domestic Sapphire furnace Dan Changjing a company official told the " Engineering LED" reporter .

"As of now , the company's Sapphire Dan Changjing furnaces sold dozens ." This is the Dragon Optical (SZ.300029) interactive platform for investor relations in the Shenzhen Stock Exchange on the answer given .

Sapphire Dan Changjing furnaces

According to Engineering LED Industry Institute (GLII) recently released report, 2012 China mainland chip output of about 7.2 billion yuan , the average price fell about 32% , a decline of some products is as high as 50% .

GLII data show that in 2012 China mainland holdings from 2011 's 803 units to 917 units, but the capacity utilization rate is only about 30%, the boot was only about 50%.

Low capacity utilization led directly upstream sapphire substrate and Sapphire Dan Changjing furnace corporate sales slump last year , the price all the way down . Currently , two-inch sapphire substrate market price has reached a cost of $ 7-8 near the line , more manufacturers in Taiwan and South Korea call for $ 6 of the "cheap ."