The Difficulties and Countermeasures of Developing MOCVD Equipment in China

Text / Gaogong LED Editor Zeng Hongping

In the international context of energy conservation and environmental protection, China has introduced a series of policies to increase the support of the LED industry, and the industry prospects are beyond doubt. However, the core automation equipment is still relatively backward, especially for epitaxial and chip manufacturing equipment. The localization process of MOCVD and other equipment determines whether the future LED industry in China can develop healthily, continuously and rapidly. The rapid development of China's LED industry continues to drive the expansion of MOCVD equipment. But the overall feeling of domestic MOCVD is: there are more people concerned and fewer people.

According to the statistics of the High-tech LED Industry Center, the number of MOCVDs ordered and installed by enterprises has exceeded 55 units per year for three consecutive years. According to the current expansion plan and the number of machine orders, Gaogong LED expects to increase nearly 230 MOCVD in the next three years. Although China has made great progress in epitaxial growth manufacturing, China's rapid development of MOCVD equipment still faces many difficulties, such as the lack of independent research and development, the main dependence on foreign imports, the inability of investment to form synergies, and the test of patent technology barriers. The research and development ideas and hotspots of foreign advanced enterprises may provide some ideas and help for China's MOCVD equipment to break through the bottleneck of localization, but the main thing is to rely on the development of LED enterprises, technological progress, national policies and financial support, and talent reserves. .

First, the dilemma

Foreign companies monopolize the market mainly rely on imports

We are still in the early stage of development of LED core epitaxial equipment MOCVD. According to high-tech LED statistics, there are 145 MOCVD equipments for production in China in 2008. In 2009, MOCVD equipment will increase by about 110 units, but unfortunately, MOCVD is currently in progress. MOCVD equipment produced by equipment manufacturers AIXTRON (Germany Ai Siqiang) and VEECO (American company Yiwei Precision Instrument Co., Ltd.) account for almost 90% of the global market share. China's production MOCVD equipment is completely dependent on imports. status. At present, the characteristic substrate technology for high-power illumination, the processing stability and the improvement rate of epitaxial efficiency are gradually narrowed compared with those of foreign countries. However, the current production of epitaxial equipment still relies mainly on imports, and the mainland market still lacks competitiveness. Domestic equipment.

Small independent research and development and cannot be introduced into mass production

 

We gratifying to see the upstream raw materials and MOCVD equipment manufacturers already have or production units, such as the development of Jiangsu South MO source has been widely used, Institute of Semiconductors (7 * 2 "), Huazhong University of Science and Technology (in collaboration with Chiu Shun Group) have announced We developed a new type of independent production MOCVD equipment, but to no mass production, before that, Jason Qingdao and Xi'an University of electronic Science and Technology photoelectric also developed a single-chip, 3 * 2 "and 6 * 2" MOCVD equipment, but the device has not been to the market, cooperation team disbanded, but there are many units on the development of MOCVD equipment showed great interest, I can see, many people have recognized the challenges of lack of MOCVD equipment made in China and brought tremendous business opportunities.

Although China as early as "95" "15" 863 plan was scheduled to start MOCVD R & D projects to develop MOCVD equipment, but mostly never heard from again after the introduction of the prototype, not mass production market operation, which there are a number of reasons. Some experts believe that the investment is relatively scattered, unable to form a synergy, and the lack of market-oriented operation mode is the fundamental reason for the delay in mass production of domestic MOCVD equipment.

The test of industrialization level and patent barriers


At present, the research and development of domestic MOCVD equipment is still in the stage of digestion and absorption, and foreign mainstream commercial models have established strict patent protection, such as AIXTRON's Planetary Reactor reactor, THOMAS SAWN's CCS (Close Coupled Showerhead Reactor) reactor, VEECO's Turbo Disk reactor and Japan SANSO double/multiple beam (TF) reactor are their own unique patented technologies. The domestic industrialization of MOCVD equipment faces the test of patent barriers.

Enterprises are reluctant to use domestic MOCVD equipment

At present, China has made great progress in MOCVD equipment, but the technical level is still far from the foreign countries. Most enterprises do not rely on the quality and performance of domestic equipment, or choose to purchase related equipment from abroad. Besides, the state purchases MOCVD equipment from enterprises. There are subsidy policies, so companies are reluctant to adopt domestic MOCVD equipment. In response to this problem, many experts have called on domestic enterprises and research institutes to "boldly use domestic MOCVD equipment," - the development of MOCVD business is a matter of all industries, and only in this way can the domestic LED industry enter a benign development track.

Second, the solution

 

The state should increase policy and financial support, concentrate on key development

 

Key equipment such as MOCVD is a matter that reflects the will of the country. The state must vigorously invest and fully support it. In addition to the entire system, we must also pay attention to the manufacturing and supporting capabilities of key components, such as high-purity high-quality graphite, crystal material parts, stainless steel materials and components, surface treatment of materials, as well as pressure, flow, temperature detection, each A vacuum pump or the like is indispensable for MOCVD.

MOCVD equipment is the most critical equipment for the development of the LED industry. It plays a decisive role in the development of the LED industry. Relevant departments of the state should focus on the talents and resources of the units that develop MOCVD equipment, and break the existing situation of “distribution of sand and individualism” and concentrate on investment. Focus on development, solve key technologies in manufacturing equipment, master core technologies with independent property rights, and realize localized mass production of MOCVD equipment as soon as possible. Only in this way will we accelerate the development of the LED industry and reduce the cost of LED-related products to achieve greater industrial development.

Learning from the research and development ideas of foreign advanced enterprises

 

At present, the mainstream equipment of the MOCVD industry has been developed from the original three-chip machine to the current 42, 45, and 49-piece machines, and the speed of technology update is accelerating. However, China's research and development is still far behind the pace of foreign development.

 

At present, domestic research institutes have made breakthroughs in some areas of MOCVD equipment, which brings a good foundation for China's independent research and development. Overseas technical teams, especially overseas students with certain technical production experience, have returned to China to start their own businesses. They have also brought many technologies with independent intellectual property rights and mastered the global industrial development trend. They are their technology for domestic MOCVD equipment. Ability will be a big boost. In addition, with the integration of Taiwan's industry, the technical production department of the company has also changed, and some technical teams or technical backbones have left the enterprise to start their own businesses or take other positions, most of which have made the mainland the preferred target. These technical teams or backbones have rich production experience and channels, so it is necessary to increase the introduction and reserve of relevant talents.

Enterprises should focus on technology and concentrate on independent research and development

 

We must pay attention to the cultivation of independent brands. Enterprises must be technology-centered and constantly innovate in technology applications to become a company with strong design and production capacity. The manufacture of MOCVD equipment is not the same as the manufacture of other industrial production equipment. The MOCVD equipment itself is a multidisciplinary, high-precision, high-risk, and mechanical and technical combination.

The knowledge of mechanics, optics, vacuum, gas power, chemistry, thermal field distribution, three-waste treatment, and electronic control used in the manufacturing process of MOCVD equipment is also a condition to be combined with engineers of MOCVD material growth processes. This will produce a qualified MOCVD device. Only those who know the craft can't do the equipment, and only the mechanical people can do this equipment. This is why some other equipments in China that do scientific research equipment are doing very well, but they have to make a MOCVD equipment separately. So easy, not even complete.

Therefore, I think that in order to truly produce a fully-used MOCVD equipment, it must be combined by the equipment factory and the MOCVD process personnel. One method is to hire the craftsmen from the equipment factory to turn the craftsman into one of the equipment manufacturers. Another way is The equipment factory cooperates with the unit that makes the process, puts the manufactured equipment in the unit of the process, continuously provides the operation of the equipment, finds the inadequacies of the equipment and the areas that need improvement, and also summarizes the growth process of the materials. The process provides a reference for the improvement of the control software.

Industrialization of domestic equipment needs to be institutionalized

The government should deploy globally on the localization of MOCVD equipment, publicly convene top-level talents nationwide, and let domestic enterprise users and equipment manufacturers unite to introduce clear guiding policies to encourage extensional production enterprises to adopt localized equipment to accelerate the market. Process. In addition, because the ultimate goal of equipment production is to face the market, the development of products must be industrialized. Only by having open minds and flexible mechanisms and combining domestic technological forces can we promote the localization of important equipment in China.

However, in order to solve the industrialization problem of MOCVD equipment, the most important thing is to change the promotion ideas and systems of equipment development in China. In the past, China has adopted the project project system in the promotion of the core technology of MOCVD equipment. In the end, it is basically the project identification and project identification. The scientific research achievements and industrialization cannot be well combined. Therefore, it is necessary to break the way that the research institutions promote separately. Let the epitaxial process enterprises and equipment R&D units with strong strength concentrate their efforts and establish a joint study of industry, academia and research in the true sense. The state can also sign a 'military order' with the supporting enterprises. If the enterprise can't develop the pre-products and realize the industrialization, then the funds supported by the state should be returned, so that the company can exert pressure on the project management and enhance the determination of everyone to do things.

Conclusion

 

In the face of the current international equipment manufacturing plants, the production of larger-sized, multi-piece epitaxial growth equipment is the direction of improvement. In order to ensure that the products developed by relevant scientific research institutions meet the industrialization needs, they will become the mainstream models for future use. Then the development of MOCVD equipment should be boldly broken on the existing basis, aiming at the research and development of the single-machine capacity in the mainstream market after 3 years, training the extension talents on MOCVD with independent intellectual property rights, developing the extension technology, and fundamentally guaranteeing the semiconductor lighting industry in China. Sustainable development can enhance the competitiveness of China's semiconductor lighting industry.

 

We believe that the successful operation of MOCVD domestic projects will drive the development and progress of a large number of supporting industries. Of course, the success of localization of key equipment such as MOCVD must mean that the cost of LEDs is reduced, and the localization of key equipment will greatly reduce the manufacturing cost of LEDs. At present, China is in a critical period of expanding domestic demand, accelerating infrastructure construction and industrial transformation and upgrading, and has huge market demand for advanced equipment. The financial crisis has accelerated the adjustment of the world industrial structure and provided opportunities for China to participate in industrial division of labor.

Solar Pillar Light

Solar Pillar Lights,Solar Fence Lighting,Roundness Yard Lawn Light,Roundness Solar Garden Light

Junrui Lighting Co., Ltd. , http://www.china-outdoor-light.com