Polymatech Electronics has launched a range of high-quality sapphire substrates, including 2, 3, and 4-inch diameter sapphire wafers in India. The Oragadam facility in Tamil Nadu produces these wafers at lower costs and high stability.
With increased infrastructure, the company can produce affordable, high-quality, large-diameter sapphire wafers in large volumes for global customers. The wafers are critical for industries that manufacture LEDs for consumer electronics and general lighting companies. Sapphire substrates possess exceptional physical and chemical properties that allow them to withstand high temperatures, erosion, and thermal shock, making them extensively used in the production of compounds like GaN for laser diodes and blue LEDs. Polymatech focuses on producing 4-inch diameter wafers with crystal orientation c side (0001), A-plane (11-20) and thickness of 430±15μm for the Indian market, with plans to scale up to 8-inch diameter wafers in the future.
In commenting on Polymatech’s achievement of producing India’s first 4-inch diameter sapphire wafer, Eswara Rao Nandam, President and CEO, Polymatech, stated that the company has a talented R&D and engineering team that has made significant progress in developing high-quality sapphire at scale. According to Nandam, producing high-quality, large-diameter sapphires requires unique technology and advanced processes, and Polymatech has developed a specialised, end-to-end process to ensure the top quality of its full range of wafer products. While the wafers are currently for captive consumption, Polymatech plans to supply them to the market later. The ability to produce larger sapphire wafers will be key in helping industries that make and use LEDs to scale up to support the growth needed in general lighting and consumer electronics. Nandam emphasised the importance of Polymatech’s customers being able to depend on the company for uniform, particulate-free sapphire wafers, as well as flat, stress-free wafers. High-quality sapphire wafers help Polymatech’s customers produce high-quality LED wafers at volumes to support the LED supply chain.