nTact announced the sale of a second slot-die-coating machine under controlled atmosphere to ramp up production for ALEDIA/France. The order is the logical consequence as R&D and pilot line manufacturing were successfully conducted on nTact equipment right from the beginning, due to its superior performance. The microLED display technology, developed and manufactured at ALEDIA’s facility in France, is based on a unique 3D architecture using gallium-nitride (GaN)-on-silicon nanowires (WireLED). The growing demand of ALEDIA’s leading edge products required a sophisticated and reliable manufacturing tool.
“Brightness, contrast, switching speed and power efficiency in display panels for smartwatches, mobile devices, AR/VR applications and large televisions are driving increased demand for microLED solutions,” stated Francis Taroni, COO of Aledia. “As our slot-die coating tool of record, we believe nTact’s 200mm platform is uniquely positioned to deliver outstanding process yields for our volume production. Their history of supporting our innovation was a driving force in our selection.”
The sale was achieved in cooperation with our long-term distributor JP Kummer Semiconductor Technology GmbH (JPK) and the system is planned for delivery in early 2024. “We are very pleased about this project as it is a perfect example how the technology and our local technical sales support offer a conclusive package for our customers in Europe”, says Nicolas Schwarz, CEO of JPK GmbH. This success story is another example of the continued willingness to offer customized solutions for dedicated industries at the highest technical stage. nTact appreciates to be part of this next step with ALEDIA and is keen on supporting future developments as microLEDs are emerging as a next-generation display technology due to their potential for higher resolution, brightness, and reliability. According to 2020 TrendForce estimates, microLED wafer production is expected to increase from 74,000 wafers in 2021 to over 5 million wafers in 2024.
“We are proud to be selected again by Aledia, a true pioneer in advanced display technologies, to deliver the industry’s first 200mm slot-die coating tool with coating station, automated cleaning, hot plate, automated handling and transfer processes, all operating within a glove box under controlled atmosphere” commented Greg Gibson, CTO at nTact. “nTact’s experience and willingness to develop leading edge technology for sophisticated markets were the basis for this project win.”
