SEMI's HB-LED Standards Committee has approved its first standard, specifying sapphire wafers used in making HB-LED devices.

Five categories of single-crystal, single-side polished c-axis sapphire wafers are covered by the new HB1 standard:
•    Flatted 100mm diameter, 650μm thick,
•    Flatted 150mm diameter, 1,000μm thick,
•    Flatted 150mm diameter, 1,300μm thick,
•    Notched 150mm diameter, 1,000μm thick, and
•    Notched 150mm diameter, 1,300μm thick

SEMI's HB-LED Standards Committee was formed in late 2010, comprised of companies involved in HB-LED devices, sapphire wafers, MOCVD wafer processing, and equipment and materials suppliers.

SEMI also plans to begin experiments and test methods based on a survey deployed last summer about defect vs. inspection techniques, aiming to identify sapphire wafer defects and inspection techniques catering to HB-LED manufacturing.

The wafer, automation, and impurities/defects task forces will be meeting at the Strategies in Light conference Feb. 12-14 in Santa Clara, CA. The NA HB-LEB committee and task forces will meet at the NA Standards Spring 2013 meetings April 1-4 in San Jose.