AIXTRON MOCVD systems

What it is

AIXTRON SE, founded in 1983 as a spin-out from RWTH Aachen University and based in Herzogenrath near Aachen, makes equipment for metal-organic chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD). These systems are used to grow the crystalline layers that form the basis of compound semiconductor devices. The company is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.

How it works

In MOCVD, precursor gases containing the required elements, such as metal-organic compounds and hydrides, are fed into a reactor chamber over heated wafers. The gases decompose at the hot surface and deposit atoms layer by layer, creating crystalline films only a few nanometres thick with precisely controlled composition. Many AIXTRON systems use the Planetary reactor principle, in which wafers rotate on satellites around a central axis so that the layers grow evenly across all wafers.

Why it stands out

Compound semiconductors made from materials such as gallium nitride, gallium arsenide or indium phosphide have properties that silicon lacks: they can emit light efficiently, handle high frequencies or switch high voltages with low losses. Producing them requires extremely uniform layers, which is where AIXTRON's equipment comes in. The company is one of the leading suppliers in this specialised segment of semiconductor equipment and shows how German university research can grow into an industrial niche leader.

Where you meet it

Layers grown on MOCVD systems are found in LEDs for lighting and displays, laser diodes for fibre-optic communication and sensing, and power semiconductors for electric vehicles, chargers and renewable energy systems. You will not see the machines, but you use their products every day.