In a world-first, Plessey is sampling GaN-on-silicon LEDs built on 6” wafers from its MAGIC (Manufactured on GaN I/C) line in Plymouth, UK.
MAGIC is Plessey’s proprietary large diameter GaN on silicon process technology, which can yield upwards of 95%, and apparently offers fast processing times too. The resultant GaN-on-silicon products are said to be much cheaper than sapphire and silicon carbide based solutions for LEDs of similar quality.
Though they’re only entry-level products at this stage, these LEDs represent another massive milestone for Plessey. The company acquired its first MOCVD reactor in August 2012; to have samples available 9 months later is pretty incredible. Barry Dennington, Plessey’s COO, said the company plans to make improvements in output efficiency and light output throughout this year and into next. He also hinted that there were a number of routes available for cost reduction as well.
Meanwhile, the samples available now are good enough for indicators and accent lighting applications. You can request engineering samples at www.plesseysemi.com.