Advanced Molybdenum and Tungsten Products for LED Fabrication

H.C. Starck Solutions produces high-qualty products for use in complex applications by applying its knowledge achieved through continuous research of new products and development of engineering solutions into its production environment.

Building on its nearly a century-old powder metallurgical experience, the company manufactures advanced technology metals for industries such as energy, medical, industrial, electronics, chemical processing and aerospace.

Through its understanding of current market trends and by leveraging the latest advanced technologies, H.C. Starck Solutions creates value-added solutions for the most challenging applications.

Moreover, the company’s robust and sustainable vertically integrated supply chain facilitates it to seamlessly provide high performance materials and products to the marketplace.

Extensive in-house sophisticated laboratory facilities with the state-of-the-art testing equipment, analytical tools, modeling and simulation software help H.C. Starck Solutions engineers evaluate product performance.

LED - the Next Generation in Solid State Lighting

Solid state lighting is gaining interest in the electronics industry as backlighting for the automotive industry and flat panel display applications. The next wave of advancement will be in the general lighting industry for home, municipal, architectural lighting and interior designs, which will be the driving factor for white LEDs.

The engineered product solutions offered by H.C. Starck Solutions help the LED market with solutions crucial to the success of the high temperature furnaces used in the sapphire crystal-growing industry. Refractory materials such as tungsten and molybdenum that do not pollute molten alumina during the crystal growth process are the key requirements for advanced LED technology.

The molybdenum crucibles provided by H.C. Starck Solutions for the growth of sapphire crystals are pressed, sintered, and conformed to a specific customer requirement. The tungsten crucibles are pressed, sintered, and accurately machined to provide both the shape and the desired surface finish required for easier ejection of the sapphire boule from the crucible at the final stage of its growth cycle.

Sapphire Crystal Growth in High Temperature Furnaces

The furnace industry has witnessed strong growth in the manufacturing of customized high temperature vacuum or argon atmosphere furnaces for growing sapphire crystals utilized in LED production. These furnaces feature specially designed hot zones for melting alumina in crucibles for highly controlled and accurate crystal growth.

Whether by KY, EFG, CZ, or HEM-like techniques (GTAT, CHES, and VHGF), H.C. Starck Solutions is highly knowledgeable in these various sapphire crystal growth techniques and provides engineered product solutions for use in all technology platforms.

H.C. Starck Solutions' molybdenum and tungsten products are utilized in the hot zones of sapphire growing furnaces for making furnace components and fixtures. These high temperature materials demonstrate low coefficient of thermal expansion, better thermal and electrical conductivity, and superior strength and stability at elevated temperatures as high as 2000 °C. H.C. Starck Solutions designs and supplies custom-made furnace components and fixtures for use in high temperature furnaces. The company machines and makes products from tungsten and molybdenum in the form of foil, sheet, plate, and rod.

Role of H.C. Starck Solutions Products in LED Production Process

H.C. Starck Solutions provides engineered product solutions not only for the critical sapphire growth process but also for all other crucial process steps in LED production. In phosphors production, H.C. Starck Solutions' molybdenum and tungsten crucibles and boats are either fabricated from formed flat rolled material, or pressed and sintered.

In addition, H.C. Starck Solutions supplies specially designed hot zones and furnace components for phosphor production furnaces to fulfill specific temperature requirements. MOCVD equipment is a key instrument used in the LED production process.

H.C. Starck Solutions' product solutions made from tungsten and molybdenum materials are used in the complex assembly configurations, such as heat sinks, heaters, wafer carriers, and collector rings.

Moreover, H.C. Starck Solutions provides molybdenum and Mo-Cu clads materials for heat spreaders and base plates for dissipating heat in LED devices. The materials and products offered by H.C. Starck Solutions for various applications in the LED market are shown in the following figures and table:

High Purity Nitrides for LED Phosphors

H.C. Starck Solutions provides non-oxide ceramics for high-purity specifications of LED phosphor products. The company’s aluminum nitride and silicon nitride powders are utilized as matrix materials for (oxy-) nitride based phosphor formulations.

Superior durability and thermal stability are the typical advantages of nitrides. Moreover, high purity nitrides facilitate a wide choice of color combinations. H.C. Starck Solutions offers nitrides for use in the development and manufacturing of new (red) phosphors, thus enabling LED manufacturers to fabricate new LED-lighting devices capable of addressing the requirements of the future indoor lighting market.

This information has been sourced, reviewed and adapted from materials provided by H.C. Starck Solutions.

For more information on this source, please visit H.C. Starck Solutions.