Hitachi Cable to Triple Gallium Nitride Substrate Output

Hitachi Cable said at press conference on Thursday the firm expands the output capacity of gallium nitride substrate with 2 inches of diameter, which is used for next generation digital versatile disc recorder, to monthly 1,000 units in a year from current 300 units. The firm will develop the 3-inch diameter gallium nitride substrate to contribute to lower cost for users.

Gallium nitride is material for blue-violet semiconductor laser diode, which is used to read date in next generation DVD system. Hitachi Cable ships gallium nitride substrate from Takasago plant in Ibaraki as samples for laser diode makers’ tests.

The firm produces monthly 300 units of gallium nitride substrate with 2 inches diameter recently after a series of expansions from 200 units in the start of the commercial production. The president Norio Sato said the firm tries to improve the productivity and the expansion is delay for more than 6 months compared with original plan.

The firm expects the development of larger diameter substrate could accelerate the expansion of output capacity. The 3-inch substrate with more than double of superficial area could make more laser diode chips compared with 2-inch substrate. The commercialization of 3-inch could expand the output capacity to more than 1,000 units per month and reduce cost for users.

Hitachi Cable and Sumitomo Electric Industries succeeded mass production of gallium nitride substrate. Sumitomo Electric already expanded the 2-inch substrate output capacity to more than 1,000 units per month by March 2007 and develops larger diameter substrate.