4 inches into the mainstream sapphire substrate market bottomed out

Sapphire crystal furnace at home and abroad a large concentration of SEMICON 2014 exhibition debut, continued to force the mainland market in China, China.

Poland Juropol company Jahont series long crystal furnace can produce 30, 60, 90 kg class, as of 2013 has been sold in the mainland China market, sapphire crystal furnace. 2014 plans to sell 70 units in mainland China, of which 50 units have been completed booking.

Russian equipment supplier APEKS operating for more than and 20 years, the exhibition market staff said, sapphire crystal growth furnace machine APEKS worldwide sold more than 500 units, of which light is China market will occupy 400.

Domestic sapphire crystal furnace also focused on appearance, deputy general manager of crystal energy Zhang Xiaolu is expected this year's sales will be more than 100 crystal furnace. At present, the level of 80 kg long crystal furnace technology is relatively mature. The 125 kilograms of crystal display on the spot, just to enhance the level of technology, not for sale purposes.

Yun Feng, director of new energy deputy general manager Chen Hong introduction, long crystal only with long crystal furnace verification process, Yun Feng new energy has two long crystal laboratory. Domestic sapphire material after 2010 to 2011 crazy expansion of production, and now the sapphire substrate plant expansion of equipment is relatively cautious. The mainland of China sapphire material factory is still basically 2 inches, relative to South Korea, Taiwan and other places of the 4 inch substrate, the mainland factory in a passive pricing.

In addition to long crystal furnace enterprises, the SEMICON China 2014 exhibition also brings together a lot of sapphire material factory.

Aquamarine is sapphire technology can be described as vertical integration of industrial chain, from the long crystal furnace to the rear section of the sapphire substrate grinding, senior veteran, LED occupy half of the country, low-key and mysterious.

East crystal photoelectric general manager Chi Xuming introduced, at present a total of 130, East crystal photoelectric crystal furnace, flat sheet dominated by 4 inches, the current capacity of 150 thousand / month; PSS substrate of start, temporary lack of economies of scale, the current capacity is 30 thousand / month, plans to expand to 80 thousand to 100 thousand / month, the end the planning capacity is 250 thousand pieces per month. For the wind from four PSS substrate price rumors, Chi Xuming is not optimistic about the price of the second quarter.

The mention of price matters, Nanjing Beijing photoelectric deputy general manager Zheng Songsen said, "the ingot prices rise, the extension does not let factory price, sapphire CSS/PSS plants are facing double compression, tight is not lack of material price, but do not make money, it is bitter herbs". Jing Jing, Nanjing, mainly from the long crystal to the flat film, the current crystal rod production capacity of 200 thousand mm per month, accounting for the proportion of outsourcing, flat film of 500 thousand / month (2 inches), in June this year will expand to the production of 800 thousand / month. 80% of the output will be used in the LED field, and the remaining 20% will be used in non LED areas.

For sapphire market trends, LEDinside Research Assistant Manager Wu Yingjie believes that the sapphire substrate market price has gradually bottomed out, the 2 inch sapphire ingot Market benefited from LED and non LED market demand, prices began to rebound in March, prices fell in USD4.2~4.5; 4 inch crystal market will significantly benefit from the LED market demand that price reached USD16~18; 6 inch ingot Market but because LED needs manufacturers limited, plus the original SoS market to the development of SOI technology, 6 inch sapphire ingot prices is still flat.

While benefiting from the lighting market. The LED industry is not short off-season; plus the sapphire substrate on the wisdom of the use of mobile phone is more and more diversified, including the protection of the camera lens and Home keys are beginning to import sapphire substrate material. Sapphire substrate demand continues to grow, Wu Yingjie expects 2014 full year supply and demand of the sapphire substrate industry is expected to reach a balance.

Hao Tian photoelectric from the long crystal back to the end of the slice grinding, known as apple and Samsung have been exposed to the supply chain of the sapphire phone screen, when the market downturn when the trend of expansion of production, just after the outbreak of the market to produce sufficient capacity.

As a new entrant, crystal Sheng electrical starting in 2013 in the Inner Mongolia sapphire project, its deputy general manager Zhu Liang said that the Inner Mongolia project in May this year, initial production, to formally put into production in July, the first phase of 100 furnaces, with large size.

LEDinside analyst Wu Yingjie said that the development trend from the epitaxial wafer size can be seen, the chip manufacturers since 2012 began to transfer to the large epitaxial wafer production, thus increasing the demand for 4 inch sapphire substrate. LEDinside estimated 4 inch wafer production led to about 2 inches when accounting for 2013 of the total production capacity of 41% to 45%, 2017 will be stable development. The 4 inch epitaxial film production will become the mainstream market development.