AIXTRON Innovation Center opened by Mona Neubaur, Minister for Economic Affairs of North Rhine-Westphalia

AIXTRON Innovation Center opened by Mona Neubaur, Minister for Economic Affairs of North Rhine-Westphalia

Herzogenrath/Germany, December 13, 2020 – Mona Neubaur, Minister for Economic Affairs of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, has opened the new Innovation Center of AIXTRON SE (FSE: AIXA) at the company's headquarters in Herzogenrath. At the official ceremony this Thursday, AIXTRON CEO Dr. Felix Grawert and CFO Dr. Christian Danninger showed the minister the new research and development complex with 1,000 m² of cleanroom space. It lays the foundation for the transition to 300 mm wafer size in the Compound Semiconductor Industry.

“AIXTRON's new innovation center is an impressive example of the innovative strength and future viability of the semiconductor industry in North Rhine-Westphalia. The launch of 300 mm wafer technology is a milestone for the energy efficiency and competitiveness of our region. Our global competitiveness benefits enormously from robust domestic semiconductor production, because semiconductors are essential for the transformation towards climate neutrality: without them, no computer would run, no car would drive, and neither wind nor solar plants could produce energy,” said Mona Neubaur, Minister for Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy and Deputy Prime Minister of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia.

The event was attended by representatives from the world of politics, the city of Herzogenrath, the Aachen Chamber of Industry and Commerce, and the media. The minister visited AIXTRON as part of an innovation tour in North Rhine-Westphalia.

“With the new 300mm-capable cleanroom at the Innovation Center, we will further expand our technological market leadership,” said Dr. Felix Grawert, President and CEO of AIXTRON SE. ”We already have the first 300mm GaN prototype systems, which have also been integrated into pilot lines at several customers. And this is precisely where AIXTRON's innovative strength and DNA come into play. For decades, we have been working on technological solutions even when the market had not yet defined its requirements in concrete terms. This enables us to help our customers with their product developments at an early stage and to offer innovative technologies that are market-ready at precisely the moment when demand first arises.”

The groundbreaking ceremony and start of construction of the state-of-the-art complex, in which AIXTRON is investing around 100 million euros, was in November 2023. The high-tech building is designed for the next big step in compound semiconductor technology: the important transition to 300 mm wafer size for gallium nitride (GaN) and other Compound Semiconductor applications. The GaN material system, in which AIXTRON is technology leader, is being used in an increasing number of power electronics applications due to its outstanding material properties. GaN-based semiconductor devices increase the efficiency of chargers in consumer electronics, enable efficient power conversion in the field of renewable energy, and provide energy-efficient power supply for servers and data centers. This also helps, for example, with the applications for artificial intelligence, which are currently spreading rapidly, because these require a great deal of energy.

To prepare for this demand, AIXTRON is driving forward the development of 300 mm deposition technology. The larger wafer size offers customers the productivity gain of 2.25 times more wafer area compared to the currently used 200 mm wafers. Furthermore, customers can use their 300 mm fabs and processing equipment for the first time in the field of Compound Semiconductors. This will make the production of GaN semiconductor devices not only more cost-effective, but also offers opportunities to technology performance gains in the future.

“With 300mm wafer technology, we are bringing Compound Semiconductors for the first time into the mainstream of the semiconductor fabrication. The Innovation Center is a major element of our strategy, providing space and capabilities for next generation technologies. The step towards 300 mm in Compound Semiconductors is a landmark milestone, that is set to trigger numerous growth options for the industry in the years to come.” explains Professor Dr. Michael Heuken, Vice President Advanced Technologies at AIXTRON.

Media Contact

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About AIXTRON

AIXTRON SE is a leading provider of deposition equipment to the semiconductor industry. The Company was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Herzogenrath (near Aachen), Germany, with subsidiaries and sales offices in Asia, United States, and in Europe. AIXTRON´s technology solutions are used by a diverse range of customers worldwide to build advanced components for electronic and optoelectronic applications based on compound or organic semiconductor materials. Such components are used in a broad range of innovative applications, technologies and industries. These include Laser and LED applications, display technologies, data transmission, SiC and GaN power management and conversion, communication, signaling and lighting as well as a range of other leading-edge applications.

Our registered trademarks: AIXACT®, AIXTRON®, Atomic Level SolutionS®, Close Coupled Showerhead®, CRIUS®, Gas Foil Rotation®, OVPD®, Planetary Reactor®, PVPD®, TriJet®

For further information on AIXTRON (FSE: AIXA, ISIN DE000A0WMPJ6) please visit our website at: www.aixtron.com

Forward-Looking Statements

This document may contain forward-looking statements regarding the business, results of operations, financial condition and earnings outlook of AIXTRON. These statements may be identified by words such as “may”, “will”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “contemplate”, “intend”, “plan”, “believe”, “continue” and “estimate” and variations of such words or similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are based on our current assessments, expectations and assumptions, of which many are beyond control of AIXTRON, and are subject to risks and uncertainties. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Should these risks or uncertainties materialize or should underlying expectations not occur or assumptions prove incorrect, actual results, performance or achievements of AIXTRON may materially vary from those described explicitly or implicitly in the relevant forward-looking statement. This could result from a variety of factors, such as actual customer orders received by AIXTRON, the level of demand for deposition technology in the market, the timing of final acceptance of products by customers, the condition of financial markets and access to financing for AIXTRON, general conditions in the market for deposition plants and macroeconomic conditions, cancellations, rescheduling or delays in product shipments, production capacity constraints, extended sales and qualification cycles, difficulties in the production process, the general development in the semi-conductor industry, increased competition, fluctuations in exchange rates, availability of public funding, fluctuations and/or changes in interest rates, delays in developing and marketing new products, a deterioration of the general economic situation and any other factors discussed in any reports or other announcements , in particular in the chapter Risks in the Annual Report, filed by AIXTRON. Any forward-looking statements contained in this document are based on current expectations and projections of the executive board based on information available the date hereof. AIXTRON undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless expressly required to do so by law. 

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