Sapphire Wafers
High-quality sapphire substrates with C/R/A/M-plane orientations, Epi-Ready CMP surfaces, and strong thermal conductivity for LED and RF applications.
Overview
Sapphire wafers are made from single-crystal α-Al₂O₃. With hardness 9 Mohs, a melting point of 2,040°C, and wide transmission from 150nm–5,500nm, they’re ideal for <strong>epitaxy</strong> and optical use.
Choose 2″–8″ sapphire wafers with C/R/A/M planes and miscut ±0.2° standard / ±0.05° precision. EPD < 5 × 10³/cm² and Class 100 packaging support high-yield processing.
<strong>Epi-Ready</strong> CMP RMS < 2Å with <strong>EPD</strong> < 5 × 10³/cm² — ready for GaN LED epitaxy.
Crystal Growth Methods
Compare KY, EFG, and HEM growth routes for sapphire α-Al₂O₃ single crystals. KY delivers the lowest EPD with the best C(0001) orientation and supports very large ingot diameters; it is the preferred choice for high-quality epi-ready sapphire wafers. EFG offers high throughput with cost-effective film-fed growth and targets R(1-102)/A(11-20) orientations. HEM is capable of extremely heavy ingots with defect densities down to the lowest level, making it ideal when optical-grade material or high-performance laser applications are required.
Kyropoulos (KY)
Best for C-plane epitaxy
KY grows very large, high-quality ingots with the lowest EPD, making it ideal for C-plane LED epitaxy.
Edge-Defined Film-Fed (EFG)
Cost-efficient R/A-plane
EFG ribbon growth balances low cost and high output, supporting R/A-plane material requirements.
Heat Exchanger Method (HEM)
Lowest EPD, optics grade
HEM can grow extremely heavy ingots with extremely low defect density, suited for optics and laser applications.
Crystal Orientations
Select the right sapphire plane to control epitaxy quality and device performance. Different crystal orientations tailor surface properties for targeted applications.
C-Plane (0001)
C-Plane is the standard orientation for GaN/InGaN epitaxy on sapphire. Its typically lowest surface energy supports high-performance LEDs and power devices.
R-Plane (1-102)
R-Plane is widely used for SOS epitaxy on silicon and for heteroepitaxy integration. It helps achieve reliable growth behavior on the sapphire surface.
A-Plane (11-20)
A-Plane is a non-polar surface, reducing quantum-confined Stark effect. Ideal for non-polar LEDs and laser diodes requiring improved optical efficiency.
Patterned Sapphire Substrates (PSS)
PSS increases GaN LED light-extraction efficiency by etching cone/pyramid micro-patterns on the C-plane sapphire surface.
The pattern pitch, depth, and sidewall angle are precisely controlled, supporting 2"–8" sizes and enabling epi-ready growth for mass production epitaxy.
GINECHIP offers standard and custom PSS pattern designs, paired with an <strong>Epi-Ready</strong> surface RMS < 2Å.
Silicon-on-Sapphire (SOS)
SOS heteroepitaxial silicon thin films on R-plane sapphire, with an insulating substrate to realize low parasitic capacitance.
Ideal for RF integrated circuits, radiation-hardened devices, and high-temperature MEMS; the 9.9 eV wide bandgap delivers excellent electrical isolation.
Specifications
| Parameter | Available Range / Values |
|---|---|
| Material | Single-crystal α-Al₂O₃ (Sapphire), various grades |
| Crystal Orientation | C-plane (0001), R-plane (1-102), A-plane (11-20), M-plane (10-10) |
| Diameter | 2″ (50.8mm), 3″ (76.2mm), 4″ (100mm), 6″ (150mm), 8″ (200mm) |
| Thickness | 330μm, 430μm, 650μm, 1,000μm standard |
| Surface Polish | SSP, DSP, Epi-Ready CMP, RMS < 2Å |
| TTV | ≤ 5μm |
| Bow / Warp | Bow ≤ 10μm, Warp ≤ 15μm for 4″ diameter |
| EPD (Etch Pit Density) | < 5 × 10³/cm² |
| Hardness | 9 Mohs, 2,000 kg/mm² Knoop |
| Thermal Conductivity | 40 W/m·K @ 300K |
| CTE | 5.0–6.6 × 10⁻⁶/K (anisotropic, orientation-dependent) |
| Melting Point | 2,040°C |
| Bandgap | 9.9 eV (wide-bandgap optical insulator) |
| Refractive Index | nₒ = 1.768, nₑ = 1.760 @ 633nm |
| Transmission Range | 150nm–5,500nm (UV-grade: 85% @ 250nm) |
| Miscut Tolerance | ±0.2° standard, ±0.05° precision |
| Packaging | Class 100 cleanroom, vacuum-sealed single-wafer cassette |
Typical Applications
LED Epitaxy
C-plane Epi-Ready surface with <2Å RMS for GaN/InGaN LED epitaxy.
Laser Diodes
Low-defect A/C-plane substrates for blue/violet laser diode epitaxy.
Silicon-on-Sapphire
R-plane hetero-epitaxy substrates for RF and radiation-tolerant integrated circuits.
Patterned Sapphire Substrates
C-plane micro-patterns to enhance GaN LED light extraction efficiency.
RF & Microwave
Low dielectric loss and wide bandgap 9.9 eV for high-frequency devices.
Optical Windows
150nm–5,500nm broadband transmission for optical windows and laser components.
Metrology & Quality Control
Each sapphire wafer is individually inspected. A complete metrology report accompanies every shipment for traceable, application-ready verification.
Request a Sapphire Wafer Quote
Send your custom requirements—including crystal orientation, diameter, thickness, miscut angle, and surface polishing—to our engineering team for a fast quote.