Furukawa’s New GaN Lab Opens in Oyama Site, Japan

Furukawa announced on Tuesday a new laboratory building for gallium nitride (GaN) development has completed inside Oyama plant’s site, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. The firm will integrate existent 3 GaN labs in Japan into the new site of Oyama and accelerate commercial production of GaN substrates. The firm also aims to advance development of GaN epitaxial wafers and bring the products into a commercial business in fiscal 2010 starting April 2010.

The new lab was constructed inside the site of Oyama plant, which is under operation by Furukawa Industrial Machinery Systems, Furukawa Group’s company. The lab building has 3 floors of total 3,000 square meters on the site of 1,000 square meters. The opening ceremony was held on 24 March.

Furukawa organized a GaN business group under the research & development unit in April 2008. The firm accelerates GaN development at the new lab. Powdec KK, Furukawa’s partner to development GaN epitaxial wafers, will also move to the lab.