Commercialization of Two-inch AIN Substrates Announced at OIDA Forum.

WASHINGTON -- At the Optoelectronics Industry Development Association (OIDA) Nitride LED and Laser Technology Forum held May 11th in Palo Alto, Calif., Crystal IS announced the commercial availability of the first ultra low defect density 2-inch native AlN wafers, a technology especially suited for ultraviolet (UV) solid state lighting and lasers and next generation RF power transistors. The forum drew experts from industry, government and academia, representing the full spectrum of technologists, application developers, and users, and provided an excellent knowledge base for discussions on the specific needs and issues in Nitride-based LED and laser technology.

"Substrate quality and availability is a major issue for the solid-state lighting industry and next-generation RF power transistors," said David Huff, OIDA Vice President of Marketing and Business Development. "We are pleased that Crystal IS chose the OIDA Nitride LED and Laser Technology Forum for this announcement. Their achievement underscores the progress that has been made in substrate growth technologies that will serve as a springboard for emerging applications."

The OIDA forum explored the market for Nitride -based optoelectronic components such as high brightness LEDs and solid-state UV sources, the technical benefits of different substrate and growth technologies, concerns over the path to high-efficiency UV and green LEDs and lasers, and issues surrounding intellectual property, packaging, and thermal effects for Nitride-based LED and laser sources and the lack of standards in these areas. Conclusions from the meeting will be captured in an OIDA Roadmap that will outline recommendations for industry, government and academia on the markets and future direction of Nitride-based LEDs and laser sources, and will identify the technical, financial, standardization and commercial barriers that must be overcome.

The primary applications for Nitride-based materials are the $2B solid-state lighting industry with applications in architectural lighting, backlighting, automobiles, and emerging applications in medicine, projectors, bio-sensors and general purpose lighting. OIDA has played a significant role in the advancement of the industry through its forums and road-mapping exercises.

About OIDA

OIDA is a Washington DC-based, non-profit association that promotes optoelectronics. OIDA members include the leading providers of optoelectronic components and systems enabled by optoelectronics, as well as universities and research institutions. OIDA serves as the voice of industry to government and academia, acts as liaison with other industry associations worldwide, and provides a network for the exchange of ideas and information within the optoelectronics community.

Learn more about OIDA at www.oida.org.