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Hamamatsu Corp. - Earth Innovations LB 2/24

A Jewel of a Boule Displayed

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Today at the SPIE Defense, Security and Sensing Conference and Exhibition in Orlando, attendees can visit Booth 337 and see what Rubicon Technology of Franklin Park, Ill., considers the world’s largest sapphire crystal.

RubiconSapphire.jpg
Rubicon Technology's 441-lb bulk sapphire superboule, on display at the SPIE Defense, Security and Sensing Conference in Orlando. (Photo: Lynn Savage)

The company grows bulk sapphire crystals weighing about 187 lb for wafers of up to 8 in. But stepping that up, the superboule weighs in at 441 lb and will be used for wafers of up to 12 in.

Sapphire substrates are used in high-brightness LEDs, radio-frequency integrated circuits and military applications, including transparent armor, and windows for unmanned aerial vehicles and submarines. Using large sapphires makes possible large-size windows and wafers in C-plane and other orientations, as well as optical parts in varying thicknesses.

The giant sapphire was grown using the company’s proprietary ES2 crystal growth technology. The company intends to keep scaling up to produce even larger-size crystals in the future.

For more information, visit: www.rubicon-es2.com

Anne L. Fischer, Photonics Spectra senior editor
[email protected]
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Published: April 2009
Glossary
photonics
The technology of generating and harnessing light and other forms of radiant energy whose quantum unit is the photon. The science includes light emission, transmission, deflection, amplification and detection by optical components and instruments, lasers and other light sources, fiber optics, electro-optical instrumentation, related hardware and electronics, and sophisticated systems. The range of applications of photonics extends from energy generation to detection to communications and...
crystalsdefenseLight SourcesNews & FeaturesphotonicsRubicon TechnologysapphireSecurity and Sensing ConferenceSPIE Defensesubmarinestransparent armorunmanned aerial vehiclesLEDs

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