Kyma Licenses Plasma Vapor Deposition Technology to GT Advanced Technologies

Kyma Technologies, Inc., a leading supplier of advanced materials solutions that promote safety and energy efficiency, announced today that it has licensed its nitride semiconductor plasma vapor deposition of nanocolumns (PVDNC™) technology to GT Advanced Technologies.

Kyma has a rich history of advancing PVDNC™ technology to create a cost-effective nanocolumnar crystalline AlN nucleation layer on flat sapphire and silicon substrates as well as on patterned sapphire substrates. The nanocolumnar AlN presents an excellent surface for subsequent nucleation and growth of GaN buffer layers which are important for GaN LEDs and power electronics. Kyma has offered PVDNC™ AlN templates to the market for many years and also employs such templates as a starting material for growing bulk and thin film crystalline GaN by hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE).

“After many years of advancing our patented PVDNC™ technology, we are excited to partner with GT Advanced Technologies who we believe is well positioned to broadly disseminate this technology not only into the rapidly growing market for nitride based LEDs but also into the nascent market for nitride based power electronics,” said Keith Evans, Kyma’s President and CEO.

PVDNC™ technology is an excellent complement to GT’s recently announced move into HVPE equipment. The combination of PVDNC™ AlN nucleation layers and HVPE GaN buffer layers has the potential to double the throughput of today’s MOCVD tools and to improve the performance and yield of devices. The result is higher throughput of improved devices made at lower fabrication cost, a triple win for the customer.

“Kyma’s innovative “nano-columnar” PVDNC™ technology adds an important component to our expanding LED product base,” said Tom Gutierrez, GT’s president and CEO. “Our goal is to offer a range of solutions that improve the quality and lower the cost of LED manufacturing. The combination of GT’s PVD AlN tool coupled with the HVPE system we are developing is expected to offer LED manufacturers a significant cost reduction to producing epi-ready wafers compared with today’s current manufacturing techniques.”

About Kyma Technologies

Kyma’s mission is to provide advanced materials solutions that promote safety and energy efficiency. Kyma’s products include a diverse portfolio of crystalline nitride semiconductor materials, crystal growth and fabrication equipment, and power switching electronics. Additionally, the company is developing a novel electromagnetic field sensor technology.

For more information about Kyma Technologies, visit www.kymatech.com, e-mail info@kymatech.com, or call the company directly at 919.789.8880.

Kyma is a registered trademark of Kyma Technologies, Inc.