AIXTRON SE, a leading provider of deposition systems for the semiconductor industry, has launched operations with a new R&D cluster that demonstrates the core processes used to produce organic semiconductors. This enables the various processes for the deposition of organic thin-films which are required for the manufacture of OLEDs and flexible electronics to be demonstrated efficiently and under industrial production conditions.

The cluster, which has been installed in a cleanroom at AIXTRON, comprises several process modules used in the deposition of organic materials on 200x200mm substrates (“Gen1”). This size allows AIXTRON to demonstrate potential customers the advantages of its deposition technologies on device level at an affordable cost and effort. At the core of the demonstrator are three of AIXTRON’s OVPD® modules and one PVPD™ module. These are embedded in an automated cluster environment and supplemented by various process modules and relevant infrastructure.

Juergen Kreis, Director of Business Development at AIXTRON and responsible for further expansion of the Organic Semiconductor division, explains: “Our R&D cluster will offer industrial customers and research partners an integrated environment for comprehensive demonstration of the various processes on device level. The flawless integration with pre- and post-processing, as well as the possibility to characterize fabricated devices will allow for fast and comprehensive demonstration of the specific advantages offered by our core technologies OVPD® and PVPD™.”

Martin Goetzeler, CEO of AIXTRON, comments: “Organic semiconductors are of great significance to AIXTRON. OLEDs in particular have the potential to be put to a variety of future uses both in displays and in general lighting. Therefore, we have significantly stepped up our research and development in this area and consequently invested into our R&D cluster. This way, we can satisfy the widespread need for enhanced testing and demonstration possibilities, especially to facilitate our customers’ future investment decisions. I am absolutely sure that our organic semiconductor production systems will play a key role in the market in the future.”

AIXTRON’s proprietary OVPD® and PVPD™ process technology allows the production of the highly even organic thin-films with high material efficiency and high deposition rates that are needed to produce OLEDs, organic electronics and other functional elements. The efficient, large-scale production of organic thin-films is viewed as the key to OLEDs achieving further market penetration.

A video of the demonstration system can be seen here.