University of Cambridge Purchases AIXTRON Tool for 2D/layered Materials-based Photonic Devices
The UK's University of Cambridge has purchased a Close Coupled Showerhead® system for 2D materials from AIXTRON SE for its research and development in the field of photonics and optoelectronics. The AIXTRON system enables wafer scale growth of layered materials (2D materials). This allows the integration with silicon photonics to produce highly efficient and high speed optical data communication devices.
AIXTRON's Close Coupled Showerhead® (CCS) system is set in a 200mm configuration and is currently being installed at the Cambridge Graphene Centre to be used for the UK's Layered Materials Research Foundry (LMRF). The LMRF will focus its research on graphene and other layered materials to deliver, at a pilot scale to end users, a fully integrated silicon photonics platform.
It was reported that AIXTRON’s CCS platform was chosen for this pilot line because "it is the only platform today that allows seamless process transfer and scaling to 300mm and high volume manufacturing of layered materials". It also brings manufacturing level features to the lab scale. This is due to AIXTRON’s proprietary full wafer temperature control via the ARGUS temperature mapping system, as well as precise precursor delivery and control using AIXTRON’s concentration monitor Epison®.
"For many years, we have worked closely with AIXTRON, which has allowed us to advance our research and development in layered materials. AIXTRON's CCS system, which we are currently installing at our Cambridge Graphene Centre, will be used to deposit layered materials for optical transceivers and modulators which will be used for high-speed data applications like 5G/6G as well as optical interconnects and switches for next-generation energy efficient AI hardware,” says Prof. Andrea Ferrari, Director of the Cambridge Graphene Centre at the University of Cambridge.
"2D layers offer enormous opportunities in photonics, optoelectronics and nanoelectronics. We are delighted that the University of Cambridge relies on AIXTRON for its world-leading research in nanotechnology to unlock the potential of these materials. With this, we help to shape the future of advanced optical and electronic devices,” says Dr. Felix Grawert, CEO of AIXTRON SE.
Read the original article on Graphene-Info.