Plessey Semiconductors Ltd. has acquired CamGaN Limited, a University of Cambridge spinout formed to commercialize novel technologies for the growth of gallium nitride (GaN) high-brightness LEDs on large area silicon substrates. The acquisition will enable Plessey to exploit synergies with its 6-inch processing facility in Plymouth, England to produce HB LEDs based on CamGaN’s proprietary 6-inch GaN-on-silicon technology. The Company believes this acquisition positions it among the first commercial players to successfully manufacture HB LEDs on 6-inch silicon substrates.
The newly acquired Plessey HB LED solution enables the growth of thin HB LED structures on standard, readily available, silicon substrates. Current technologies use silicon carbide (SiC) or sapphire substrates, which are expensive and difficult to scale-up. Plessey’s GaN-on-silicon solution offers cost reductions of the order of 80% compared to LEDs grown on SiC or sapphire by: (i) reducing scrap rates, (ii) minimizing batch time and (iii) enabling the use of automated semiconductor processing equipment. These cost reductions will be achieved while enabling outputs in excess of 150 lumens per watt later this year – a combination that will allow Plessey to offer the most cost effective solutions in the HB LED industry.