GT Advanced Technologies Enters into the Field of Sapphire and Silicon Carbide Manufacturing

GT Advanced Technologies is trying several new things with an aim to expand its portfolio of sapphire and silicon carbide (SiC) solutions for the industries of solar, LED and electronics. These signals means a shift for the company from research and development of manufacturing equipment to the actual manufacture of sapphire and SiC.

The company has entered into a memorandum of understanding with European-based EV Group, a specialist in bonding and material handling equipment, to work together in various collaborative arrangements including jointly developing high volume production processes and equipment necessary to bond the ultra-thin sapphire and SiC lamina, produced by GT's Hyperion technology, to engineered substrates such as glass, silicon, and plastics.

Additionally, GT claimed it will begin to work with a leading glass substrate producer to develop specially engineered substrate materials that can be used to create unique composite solutions and make sapphire being used for broader applications.

The company also said that it has acquired patent-pending technology for producing low-cost, scratch-resistant aluminum oxide coatings for various substrates including glass and plastics. These coatings are expected to provide some of the durability and scratch-resistant properties of crystalline sapphire at a lower price point to address market opportunities where cost is paramount and not all of the properties of sapphire are required.