Veeco Instruments introduced today the new TurboDisc® EPIK700™ Gallium Nitride (GaN) Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) system that combines the industry’s highest productivity and best-in-class yields with low cost of operation, further enabling lower manufacturing costs for light emitting diodes (LEDs) for general lighting applications.

Based on Veeco’s proven TurboDisc technology, the EPIK700 MOCVD system enables customers to achieve a cost per wafer savings of up to 20 percent compared to previous generations through improved wafer uniformity, reduced operating expenses, and increased productivity. The EPIK700 system features a reactor with more than twice the capacity of current generation reactors. This increased volume, combined with productivity advancements within the reactor, results in a 2.5x throughput advantage over previous generation MOCVD systems.

Veeco Instruments EPIK700 GaN MOCVD. (Veeco Instruments/LEDinside)

“The EPIK700 is our latest in a distinguished line of technologically advanced MOCVD reactors,” said William Miller, Executive Vice President, Veeco. “We are pleased to say that one of the world’s top LED manufacturers has thoroughly evaluated and accepted the EPIK700 due to its production worthiness, stable process and reproducible results. We anticipate that this new product will help our customers further succeed in the solid-state lighting market, by driving down LED manufacturing costs and increasing productivity.”

Since the introduction of the TurboDisc K465i GaN MOCVD System in 2010, Veeco has steadily improved its customers’ cost of ownership and became the world’s leading MOCVD equipment supplier. In 2011, Veeco launched the industry’s first multi-reactor MOCVD system, the award-winning TurboDisc MaxBright® MOCVD System. In addition, Veeco’s MOCVD TurboDisc technology has been recognized as best in the industry by LED trade associations in each year from 2011 to 2013.

“The EPIK700 is another game-changer for the LED industry,” said Jim Jenson, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Veeco MOCVD. “In addition to higher capacity and throughput, the system contains proprietary technologies within the reactor that improve wavelength uniformity and drive higher yields in a tighter bin. By combining the advanced TurboDisc reactor design with excellent uniformity, higher productivity, proven automation, low consumable costs and improved footprint efficiency, we have significantly improved the cost per wafer for our customers.”

According to a recent IHS Research report, LED unit penetration is expected to reach 15 percent in such key markets as China, Japan, North America and Europe by 2016 and more than double to 40 percent by 2020.