Sapphire glass was in the news again today, thanks to a jump in the share price of GT Advanced Technologies Inc. — the company which will reportedly manufacture the iPhone 6’s sapphire display.

With contrasting reports about sapphire’s advantages over Gorilla Glass, along with counter-reports from Gorilla Glass maker Corning, we figured the time was right to break down some of the questions about Apple’s latest wonder-material.

Currently used by Apple only in small quantities in the protective glass over the iPhone 5s camera sensor, and Touch ID home button, analysts predict that worldwide demand for sapphire glass is about to pick up in a big way.

Apple announced late in 2013 that it was planning to open a sapphire glass manufacturing facility in Arizona — employing 700 people, and capable of churning out between 100 million and 200 million iPhone displays each year. GT Advanced Technologies will own and operate the required furnaces and equipment, for what is rumored to be the screens for the forthcoming iPhone 6, but may turn out also to refer to Apple’s iWatch.

To find out more about sapphire glass — including its legendary toughness — Cult of Mac spoke with aerospace company Aero-Gear, who manufacture a sapphire crystal iPhone screen protector of their own.


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LED lighting LED is Ⅲ - Ⅳ made ​​compounds, such as gallium arsenide, gallium phosphide, gallium arsenide and other semiconductor phosphorus, which is the use of solid semiconductor chip as hair light materials. Rare metal gallium in the modern semiconductor industry widely used, mainly in the compound gallium arsenide occurs, accounting for about 80% of total applications, gallium, gallium arsenide is mainly used in 3G mobile phones, wireless communications and semiconductor LED lighting on.

Recently, LED industry from the chip to the package plants are in short supply situation, the industry is also widely expected May sales will be better. Insiders expect the LED lighting market with the launch of the annual LED market demand will have more than 30% growth in the first half of the new LED chip industry in less than 10% capacity, supply and demand conditions in the second half of the LED chip industry will become more balance even tighter.


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Sapphire glass, except for its cost, has some incredibly desirable qualities. It’s highly transparent between 150nm (ultraviolet) and 5500nm (far-infrared), much stronger than normal glass, and it’s one of the most scratch-resistant materials in the world — it scores 9 on the Mohs scale, one down from diamond’s 10, and quite a lot tougher than Gorilla Glass’s ~7. Its transparency, plus its very high melting temperature (~2,000C) and high thermal conductivity, make it almost uniquely suited for use in arc lamps, laser tubes, and other extreme use-cases. Oh, it’s highly resistant to acids and other caustic substances, too.

In short, it’s an amazing material that’s almost perfectly suited to the front face of the iPhone 6 or iWatch — as long as it can be produced economically. Presumably, with Apple’s recent investment in GT Advanced Technologies, and plans to begin sapphire glass production at a plant in Arizona, the folks in Cupertino believe it’s possible.


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It is now fairly clear that Apple is investing heavily in the production and machining of sapphire glass for its future products. Sapphire glass isn’t a new material, but it’s only in recent years, due to improved manufacturing methods, that we’ve started to see it used commercially. The iPhone 5′s camera was protected by a small piece of sapphire glass, and the iPhone 5S’s new home button/fingerprint scanner is made from sapphire glass. Historically, sapphire has been used for the front cover of high-end wristwatches. Now, it seems Apple is preparing to launch an iPhone or iWatch with its entire front face protected by sapphire glass. Why is sapphire glass suddenly so hot? After leading the pack for a few years, has Corning’s Gorilla Glass finally met its match?

Despite its name, sapphire glass isn’t actually a glass — it’s a single crystal of transparent sapphire. This sapphire is created synthetically, using a similar process to how the semiconductor industry grows single crystals of silicon (the Czochralski process). Basically, a tiny piece of sapphire (a seed crystal) is dipped into a vat of molten alumina (Al2O3), and then slowly drawn upwards, forming very long, carrot-shaped crystals called boules (part of a boule is pictured above). These crystals are then sliced with a saw, and shaped/polished accordingly. (The same method is used to slice silicon wafers from large silicon boules.)


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Using MOCVD (metal-organic chemical vapor deposition) to analyze the growth of GaN-base photoelectric devices on the sapphire substrate is a common method in the semiconductor lighting industry. In recent years, along with the unceasing enhancement of epitaxy technology and related technologies, larger sapphire substrates are needed. The optimization and improvement of MOCVD reaction chamber structure with large-scale epitaxial wafers have been studied by many domestic researchers. Li et al. optimized high-frequency heating graphite base groove structure with eight-inch and twelve-inch substrates. Ying-lu et al.studied the heating modulate curve of radiation heating MOCVD and proposed the design principles of the outer heater. To improve the production efficiency, some great MOCVD manufacturers also focus on how to improve and increase the MOCVD cavity and the sapphire substrate size in foreign countries. At present, two-inch and four-inch epitaxial wafers are frequently used, so manufacturers who can produce six-inch SiC and Si substrate epitaxial wafers with high quality in foreign countries would sell chips abroad.

With the growth of the III-nitrides, sapphire becomes the most extensively used substrate material. Crystals of sapphire with good quality and low price can be easily got. Besides, sapphire is stable at high temperature and the growth technology of nitrides on sapphire is now fairly mature. However, the problem of wafer bowing, which results from the difference in thermal expansion coefficient between GaN epitaxial layer and sapphire, has become much more serious in larger-diameter wafers. It will deteriorate the contact between the substrates and the equipment stages or the subsectors during device process, which will result in degradation in the device uniformity or failures in lithography.

By using finite element simulation software, the relationship between the maximum wafer bowing and sapphire substrate size under characteristic temperature is studied in the case of the growth of GaN in the sapphire substrate, and the wafer bowing relation equation is also deduced. The research work in this paper plays a foreshadowing role for later research sapphire epitaxial growth and MOCVD reaction chamber structure improvement.


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During the process of heteroepitaxial growth, if the lattice constant of the growing film differs from that of the substrate, the wafer surface bows, regardless of whether the lattice mismatch occurs or not. As the growth in large-scale wafers speeds up, bowing effects are becoming more and more important. Wafer bowing has a direct impact on the yield in modern mass-production compound semiconductor industries. By using finite element analysis software, the bowing deformation of the GaN wafer on sapphire substrate can be studied. This paper summarizes the causes of bowing deformation, builds the mathematical model, and deduces the relation equation of the wafer bowing. The results show that epitaxial wafer bowing has a linear relationship with the square of the diameter of the substrate but has little relationship with the thickness of the substrate. Moreover, the relation equation of the wafer bowing is also simplified finally.

The MOCVD growth process can be divided into four phases: a reactant input phase, a reactant mixing phase, an immediate boundary layer phase above the substrate, and the growth phase on the substrate surface itself. Growth complications that can occur in these phases include gas phase reactions during reactant mixing, reactant diffusion and/or pyrolysis in the boundary layer above the substrate, and thermodynamic or kinetic rejection of species from the substrate. The worst effects can be reduced or eliminated by providing appropriate equipment design and process conditions.


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" This year's government work report repeatedly mentioned energy conservation, promote energy production and consumption patterns change, increase energy conservation efforts to control total energy consumption , reduce energy consumption intensity . "CSA production research analyst reports, from March 1, 2014 implementation of the " LED stage lighting General technical conditions "," lighting equipment import and export inspection procedures - Part 2: LED modules for general lighting " , and further refinement of the LED lighting related product standards ; while the previous February 19 , Science and Technology , and the Ministry of industry and Information Technology issued " on the issuance of 2014-2015 energy saving technology special action program " which encourages the semiconductor lighting industry with a clear prospects for significant energy saving technology , through further deepen implementation of the " city of ten thousand ," semiconductor lighting demonstration project engineering and other industries , encourage enterprises to increase investment in research to further expand its market share through technological innovation.

The first quarter record luminous efficiency LED lighting constantly refreshed . In March this year , Cree single white power LED light effect devices exceeded 300 mark, at room temperature to 350MA drive , color temperature 5150K , the luminous efficiency of 303lm / w. This makes the light efficiency contest upgrade again , it also raised the limit for LED luminous efficiency arguments.

CSA production research analyst believes that high light efficiency and high light quality is not an either-or "zero sum game" , through the light efficiency and light quality to enhance the effective integration of optical quality , and promote the healthy development of LED industry is the ultimate goal .

In addition to outside light efficiency , LED lighting products, intelligent heat has repeatedly improved. Many international manufacturers of LED lighting products, systems ISP positive change through intelligent system integration of lighting systems , to further improve lighting energy efficiency and energy conservation. While domestic enterprises also have to enter the field of intelligent lighting , introduced color LED dimmable lamps . According to preliminary estimates CSA production research department , the demand for our intelligent lighting products annually more than 10 million ; addition, China now has "smart city " pilot 193 , the next building and smart home concept combines the wisdom of the city's popular, intelligent lighting with a bright future .

Of course, this quarter , LED lighting creative products are constantly debut. Li Ka-shing 's investment shares which Nanoleaf nanometer semiconductor lighting LED bulbs , and the United States National Key Laboratory of its Order of Grand Goccia company developed the smart button is eye-catching.


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LED (LightingEmittingDiode) light emitting diode lighting that is , a semiconductor light-emitting solid device . It is the use of solid semiconductor chip as a light emitting material in the semiconductor caused by photon emission occurs by recombination of charge carriers released excess energy directly emit red, yellow, blue , green light , on this basis , using the three -color theory , adding phosphor can emit red, yellow, blue , green, blue, orange , purple, white and any color of light. Semiconductor materials such as gallium arsenide , gallium phosphide , gallium arsenide phosphide and the like.

Recently, the State Lighting R & D and Industrial Research Institute of Semiconductor Industry Association (CSA) has released the first quarter of 2014 LED industry analysis reports. The report shows that the first quarter of 2014 , the global semiconductor lighting industry growth significantly , LED technology has reached a new high ; exports to maintain stable growth , the gradual increase in the proportion of domestic sales , the domestic market blowout soon ; companies force channel development , many corporate orders full . Overall the data, although the LED product prices continue to decline , but the deceleration begins to slow down ; LED listed company's first quarter results were generally positive , the average increase in profits of more than 27%. There are indications that the first quarter of 2014 , LED lighting industry " is not short off-season ."

Strategic Layout Activation Capacity Unleashes

Listed companies has always been a focus of the industry . CSA survey data for the quarter , LED listed company continued to maintain since 2013 , following two quarters of rapid growth trend. Continued explosive growth of the downstream lighting market , driven in upstream production release , the overall industry sentiment index upward.

According to CSA technical personnel, strong demand by the downstream pull lighting market , the rapid growth of LED upstream chip industry .

In the middle part , with the advent of ever-changing market demands and no gold package , EMC and other new packaging technology , packaging of the product structure is also changing . Which , COB lighting products in specific areas showing good lighting effects , making the export market for the product is particularly favored by COB major midstream packaging manufacturers have stepped up efforts to expand COB packaging products . Since the thermal performance lamps tend to be the decisive factor in the quality of light , light stability , SMD and COB , with its relatively low thermal resistance , will get more advantages in market competition . CSA survey data show that , COB packaging products in our overall share has more than 7% , while a higher proportion in some enterprises , even more than 15%.

In the downstream , CSA -related companies are judged force to expand channels. Some lighting manufacturers and channels generally reflected in the first quarter from a year earlier to complete the order situation has greatly improved, and even some dealers have been completed in the first quarter to reflect the order of the year, the manufacturers of the 2014 general growth of the overall market is expected to more than 50% . Meanwhile , in addition to a second-tier market , the four-tier market in the beginning of this year is also the amount of competition in the downstream channel resources into the white-hot level .

Domestic Demand

" 2013 China's LED lighting products market share of approximately 8.9% , while in 2014 as a lock-up incandescent second important point in time , it will bring a new wave of LED lighting market growth peak. "CSA production research department analyzed from 2014 began 3-5 years , LED lighting industry will usher in the explosive growth into the " golden years . " With the open market, home lighting , depth of excavation downstream applications market will drive the healthy development of the whole industry chain.

In overseas markets, the first quarter of 2014 , China's LED lighting exports continued to maintain rapid growth , LED lighting exports increase of up to 143.2% , the highest growth rate , total exports of LED lamps $ 1,905,000,000 . From the export destination, the EU remains China's largest overseas market , and its proportion of the total export value of 21.9% . However, as the EU 's new LED lighting product standards and energy efficiency standards , to further standardize and improve the import barriers , domestic exports for certain impact , the domestic LED manufacturers need to be targeted adjustment of export products. In addition , the United States in 2014 by a total ban on inefficient incandescent and other traditional products policy stimulus, the U.S. market as the second largest market remained 63.09% growth rate, but the Japanese market share fell to 7.89% from the 14.46 . It is noteworthy that the market share of the rapidly expanding BRIC countries , in 2014 a quarter of an increase of 151.94% , accounting for 6.33 percent .

In contrast, the domestic market , the demand trend is rising . According to CSA estimates, China's annual new construction brought more than 1.1 trillion lumens lighting market , where commercial lighting , office lighting and home lighting is LED penetration of the fastest growing number of market segments. CSA conservative estimate at least from January to February 2014 added more than 2 million LED lighting needs. Although the LED lighting industry in the first quarter of 2014 give a satisfactory answer , however , CSA also warns that the current , LED lighting industry, the industry chain product prices still continued to decline , the overall gross margin thinned trade , in addition to financing costs rise , to some extent, corporate profit margins caused by compression . Of course , for consumers , this means that the finished LED lamps and traditional products further narrow spreads , LED lamp prices are close to the mass market can accept the "sweet spot ."


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With the withdrawal of incandescent , energy saving awareness , as well as government subsidies and Russia's accession to WTO and other factors, market research industry , government government subsidies to promote energy efficiency , is expected to accelerate the LED -backlit LCD TVs to traditional CCFL backlit LCD TVs substitution , especially direct type LED -backlit TV products, because it has higher energy efficiency performance , easy to achieve high EEI ( energy Efficiency Index ) and lower cost price , and may even become the main momentum of the second half of the entire continent TV market .

Experts said that the recent strong demand for Chinese TV makers panel , in addition to reflecting on the National Day holiday sales brands optimistic expectations , but also show a subsidy policy for energy-efficient conversion of energy-efficient products demand and tight supply and manufacturers for the second half of the price increases concerns. Among them, the manufacturers particularly positive for the development of energy-efficient EEI direct type LED -backlit TV products.

Meanwhile, in order to make up for the short-term lack of internal resources , as well as subsidies for energy efficiency and long-term policy uncertainties , many vendors have adopted a system assembly outsourcing strategy to shorten the development cycle, improve the flexibility of development. The direct type LED -backlit TV products with higher energy efficiency due to performance and lower cost price , is expected to become the second half of the kinetic energy of the major television markets across the continent .

Analysts believe that the continent for the next round of subsidies to energy efficiency in the existing system of subsidies for energy higher EEI (2.5 or more ) TV species, take a higher amount of subsidy standard . Therefore , some brands plant using backlight brightness control (Local Dimming) direct type LED backlight technology , the development of more energy-efficient large-size ( 50 -inch ) LCD TV products , hoping to get higher subsidies for energy efficiency . But the latest subsidy standard yet to be determined .


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After the experience of the investment boom , the influx of dumped goods price , the domestic LED industry is entering the era of meager profit . Under the huge investment in the past few years , the rapid growth of industrial scale length , but it also brings overcapacity , LED enterprises are facing fierce competition in survival of the fittest . Many in the industry believe that the industry will face a short-term or cold , reshuffle is inevitable .

The report shows that in 2011 the domestic total of 803 sets of MOCVD equipment in 2012 reached 917 units, an increase of 114 units. Despite major equipment investment accelerated, but this year the domestic chip output increased by only 20%, while prices fell by Sapphire 35%, LED chip prices fell 32 percent , a larger decline in the prices .

Engineering LED 's CEO Zhang Xiaofei , said upstream investment from the entire situation, epitaxial wafers investment growth fell from 46% last year to 10% this year , while investment growth in downstream applications last year was 21 % in 2012 , rising to 53% , so the LED industry investment focus from upstream to downstream .

Xiaofei also predicted that next year will be less than the epitaxial chip companies remaining 30 , three domestic MOCVD equipment manufacturers appear, but there will not be product sales, packaging factory will close down 20% of business failures downstream will speed up display , LED downlights , spotlights in the domestic market penetration will exceed 30%, LED lighting industry sales could reach 10 billion yuan.


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