The minister for science and technology, Sabine von Schorlemer handed the official grant note to the company today. The project is financed with 2.6 million Euro from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Free State of Saxony.

"We are very happy to welcome AZZURRO as another partner in Silicon Saxony and to support the 200 mm GaN‐on‐Si‐wafer‐technology development of AZZURRO. The company’s move is another recognition of this great semiconductor location“, said minister Sabine von Schorlemer at the occasion. The company addresses the huge growth markets LED (> 10 billion US Dollar, 2010) and power semiconductors (> 15 billion US Dollar, 2010). For these markets a dynamic technology development is a key factor. With its large GaN‐on‐Si‐wafers AZZURRO enables its worldwide customers the use of low cost standard silicon processing lines to produce energy‐efficient LEDs as well as novel, energy‐efficient power semiconductor devices.

With the development of 200 mm GaN‐on‐Si‐wafers for LED and power semiconductor applications the international AZZURRO team wants to build on its technological lead to strengthen its competitive position. The achieved performance data on 150 mm wafers is already unique. With the additional funding AZZURRO works on extending its lead to 200 mm. Dr. Stephan Lutgen, Vice President Technology who heads the development and the cooperation with project partner NaMLab gGmbH was particularly happy about the support from the ministry and the local development bank SAB: "Based on the technology grant AZZURRO can execute its strategic development of the 200 mm technology platform for power semiconductors and LEDs and quickly attend to the strong customer demand.“

About AZZURRO Semiconductors
AZZURRO is a strongly growing semiconductor company and has pioneered the growth of gallium nitride on silicon substrates (GaN‐on‐Si). The customers worldwide are supplied with epitaxial wafers for LED and power semiconductor applications. Comparing to current generation wafers the use of AZZURRO’s large diameter GaN-on-Si-wafers allows the industry to facilitate standard semiconductor production sites to allow massive cost savings.