10 March 2014

IPG expands laser production with extra Veeco GEN2000 MBE system

High-power fiber-laser and amplifier manufacturer IPG Photonics Corp of Oxford, MA, USA has purchased an additional GEN2000 production molecular beam epitaxy system to add to its fleet of MBE systems from epitaxial deposition and process equipment maker Veeco Instruments Inc of Plainview, NY, USA.

IPG will use the GEN2000 for high-volume manufacturing of laser diodes for fiber lasers. Founded in 1990, the firm now utilizes multiple Veeco MBE systems in its laser production operations. Following purchases of three GEN200 systems, in 2012 IPG installed a GEN2000 system to expand its production of gallium arsenide (GaAs)-based lasers.

The new GEN2000 complements IPG’s existing set of Veeco MBE systems because of its throughput and low production costs, says Dr Alex Ovtchinnikov, senior VP, Components at IPG. “Having the ability to transfer production methods from our other Veeco MBE systems means we can ramp laser diode production quickly and reliably to meet increasing demand for our fiber lasers,” he adds.

With their performance, low power consumption and favorable ownership costs, fiber lasers are becoming the cutting and welding method of choice for materials processing applications, particularly in the automotive industry, according to a report on the laser cutting market from Markets and Markets. As the technology continues to advance, fiber lasers are gaining adoption in other industries including semiconductor processing, 3D printing and smartphone manufacturing.

“IPG is the clear leader in fiber laser production and has been utilizing our production MBE systems for years”, says Jim Northup, VP, general manager for Veecos MBE Operations. “The GEN2000 delivers the highest-throughput and lowest-cost-of-ownership MBE technology in the industry, making it the ideal system to manufacture IPG’s high-performance laser diodes,” he reckons.

The GEN2000 MBE system’s cluster tool design provides what is reckoned to be the industry’s most cost-effective 7x6” epiwafer growth of devices such as lasers, multi-junction solar cells, and pseudomorphic high-electron-mobility transistors (pHEMTs). Its cluster tool architecture also minimizes cleanroom space and downtime attributed to maintenance and allows for growth of different materials in connected modules, adds Veeco.

See related items:

IPG expands GaAs laser production with Veeco GEN2000 MBE system

Tags: Veeco IPG GaAs laser MBE

Visit: www.ipgphotonics.com

Visit: www.veeco.com