San’an has completed a 30 percent transition from 2 inch to 4 inch sapphire substrate, and strives to reach 70 percent and above by next year, said  the company’s Chairman Secretary Li Xuetan.

Li further stated that if yield rates for 2 inch and 4 inch substrate are the same, the cost of 4 inch will be 20 to 30 percent lower than 2 inch.
”The company’s MOCVD units produced 2 inch substrate in the past,” said Li. "The company is now increasing 4 inch production as this sized wafer has become a major trend.”

The price of 4 inch sapphire substrate is 4 times that of 2 inch. Lowered price of 4 inch substrate in the future will be beneficial to lowering company costs, remarked a financial institution employee.

Silian is also increasing proportion of 4 inch production, but since 4 inch sapphire substrate need to be imported, the price is much higher, said the company’s chairman secretary Chen Yueye. Production of 2 inch wafers is currently still the mainstream in the Chinese domestic market.