crystal growth rates for greater yield consistency

Advances in raw material handling combined with recent company-wide installation of enhancements to its proprietary crystal growth furnaces, Rubicon Furnace Version ES2-XLG3.0, delivers cost efficiencies for the production of large diameter sapphire. Rubicon’s next generation led high bay light furnaces provide automation for vacuum monitoring and crystal growth rates for greater yield consistency.  The furnaces require less operator intervention at 5 employees per 100 furnaces at any given time.  ES2-XLG3.0 furnaces operate in Rubicon’s United States high-efficiency crystal growth facilities in Batavia and Bensenville, Illinois.

The transition to larger diameter wafers in LED production has started.  Several key LED chip manufacturers have announced plans to migrate to and/or test large diameter wafers in 2011/2012.  Rubicon’s robust process platforms for large diameter sapphire wafers and the company’s ability to scale to commercial volumes, creates superior performance factors for the LED industry.  To date, Rubicon has successfully shipped more than 150,000 six-inch sapphire wafers.

According to market research firm DisplaySearch, TV applications currently dominate the LED market, but LED lighting will capture the lead by 2014. The firm said that LED lighting penetration rate in 2010 was 1.4%,led linear high bay light and is forecast to reach 9.6% in 2014 with the growth due to government incentive programs, and growth in commercial applications and consumer adoption worldwide.