BluGlass Installs Upgraded RPCVD Platform

Australian cleantech developer BluGlass has announced that the upgraded BLG-300, its larger Remote Plasma Chemical Vapour Deposition (RPCVD) platform, has been successfully installed and commissioned. The company says that the platform is already demonstrating good progress towards the uniformity and electrical properties required for the BluGlass industry evaluations.

BluGlass’ RPCVD technology is a low temperature, low cost process, used to grow semiconductor materials such as GaN and InGaN. The BLG-300, capable of large area deposition (up to 19×2 inch wafers, or up to one 8 inch wafer) is the most advanced RPCVD platform built to date.

The BLG-300 system is being used to demonstrate to the industry that the RPCVD platform can be brought to commercial scale, both in terms of deposition area and successful growth on larger sized wafers. The company says that the upgraded platform is already demonstrating good progress towards the uniformity and electrical properties required for the BluGlass industry evaluations.

The technology team will continue to test and adjust the new installation over the coming weeks to optimise its performance. The BLG-300 is anticipated to return to the BluGlass industry evaluation work in the coming weeks.

Chief technology and operations manager Ian Mann said: “We are very pleased with how well the installation and commissioning has gone, with the upgrade producing good results from the first run”. He added “We believe that this demonstration of the scalability using the new modular RPCVD design will be replicable in the future and help enable even larger deposition RPCVD platforms.”

While the BLG-300 installation has slowed some of the industry evaluation progression, BluGlass and Lumileds agree that the Phase II Collaboration is making steady progress. This and the IQE collaboration will again be expedited with the upgraded BLG-300 starting industry work in September.

Managing director, Giles Bourne added: “The opportunity for RPCVD that we are exploring with Lumileds is very compelling, as demonstrated by the high level of commitment from both parties. Both Lumileds and BluGlass are encouraged with the strong progress being made on the Phase II collaboration”.