BluGlass opens new labs in Western Sydney

Clean technology company BluGlass has formally opened its new manufacturing laboratories, the Paul Dunnigan Labs, at its state-of-the-art facility in Silverwater, Western Sydney.

BluGlass is developing and commercialising a breakthrough semiconductor technology called remote plasma chemical vapour deposition (RPCVD) — a new approach to the manufacture of group III nitrides, which are essential components used in millions of electronics devices globally. RPCVD is claimed to offer better-performing, lower-cost devices and more environmentally sustainable processes for electronics manufacturers producing LEDs for automotive and overhead lighting, microLEDs for wearables and virtual reality display, and power electronics for efficient power conversion.

Representing an investment of over $6 million in equipment and associated infrastructure, the new labs incorporate two cleanrooms which will house two additional semiconductor deposition systems, expanding the company’s operational and manufacturing capacity. The output from these new facilities will be used in commercial contracts, on collaborations with commercial partners and as part of BluGlass’s continuing development of RPCVD for the manufacture of LEDs, microLEDs, laser diodes, power electronics and other optoelectronic devices.

The first of the new systems, the BLG-300II, is now commissioned and has already started semiconductor wafer growth runs using RPCVD, expanding BluGlass’s operational capacity. BluGlass also aims to commission its largest RPCVD system to date by retrofitting the commercial-scale AIX 2800 G4 in collaboration with global semiconductor equipment leader AIXTRON SE of Germany. The RPCVD G4 system is due to commence operation by the end of 2019 and, together with the BLG-300II, will more than triple RPCVD wafer capacity while also demonstrating the scaling potential of RPCVD.

The labs were named after one of BluGlass’s pioneer hardware engineers, the late Paul Dunnigan, who made invaluable contributions in the development of both the RPCVD hardware and BluGlass’s facility. They were opened by members of Dunnigan’s family and the City of Parramatta Lord Mayor, Councillor Andrew Wilson.

“It is very exciting to be unveiling this major facility expansion,” said Giles Bourne, CEO and Managing Director of BluGlass. “These new systems and infrastructure allow us to expand our revenue-generating epitaxy foundry services, accelerate our RPCVD development for commercial applications and will provide the foundation for our continued negotiations with leading specialist optoelectronics manufacturers around the world.”

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