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IQE plc: Development of IQGeVCSEL 150T technology
IQE plc: Development of IQGeVCSEL 150T technology.
About this update from Iqe Plc
[{"type":"text","content":"\n \n \n \n RNS Number : 8321D\n IQE PLC\n 02 November 2020\n \n \n \n \n IQE plc \n \n \n Reach\n \n \n \n \n \n Cardiff, UK\n \n \n 2 November 2020\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n IQE announces the successful development of IQGeVCSEL 150™ technology\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n IQE plc (AIM: IQE, \"IQE\" or the \"Group\"), the leading manufacturer of advanced semiconductor wafer products for the global semiconductor industry, is pleased to announce the successful development of its IQGeVCSEL 150™ technology for 6\" Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VCSELs) on Germanium (Ge), a critical step in the pathway to 200 mm and 300 mm VCSEL technology. \n \n \n VCSELs are a key component in telecom and 3D sensing systems. Applications include high speed datacentre infrastructure; facial recognition, proximity sensing and LiDAR time-of-flight sensors on mobile handsets; in-cabin and environmental sensing for autonomous drive vehicles; and 3D image recognition. As demand for VCSELs grows and technical requirements become more stringent, there is the need to scale to larger wafer diameters and demonstrate a path for integration with leading edge CMOS technology. IQGeVCSEL 150™ is a key development milestone in addressing this. Germanium substrates are readily available in diameters up to 200 mm and provide a clear route for VCSEL growth on Si substrates (through the use of IQE's world-leading Ge on silicon templates) up to 300 mm. \n \n \n Using this unique, patent pending technology, IQE has demonstrated device performance parity between identical VCSEL structures grown on Ge and conventional Gallium Arsenide (GaAs). While the conventional growth of VCSELs on 200 mm GaAs substrates is currently virtually impossible, the use of Ge removes this limitation. This is because Ge substrates allow for optimal strain management, resulting in a VCSEL wafer that is ~10x flatter compared to VCSEL on GaAs. This not only simplifies the subsequent wafer fabrication process but results in a wafer that is up to ~3x more uniform. The improved wafer flatness provides additional design flexibility for thicker device architectures required to access longer wavelength VCSELs. Finally, the Ge substrates are available with zero defect density, resulting in higher quality VCSEL epi material compa...