High Demand for Crystal Grower

!%Thermal Technology%! of Santa Rosa, Calif., has received 59 orders for its Model K1 sapphire crystal grower from customers in Taiwan, Korea and China. In total, the growers will produce 5.2 million two-in-equivalents per year. The Model K1, weighing 90 kg, outperforms other sapphire crystal methods, including the HEM and Bridgman, and has a short cycle time, the company said. The sapphire crystals are used as substrate wafers for high-brightness blue and white LEDs, which have applications in traffic lights, backlighting for flat panel displays, and common lighting, such as streetlights and household bulbs.