IPG Photonics expands diode laser production with MBE system

Plainview, NY - IPG Photonics Corp. (IPG), a producer of high-power fiber lasers and amplifiers, has purchased an additional GEN2000 production molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) system from Veeco Instruments Inc., a developer of MOCVD, MBE, ion beam and other advanced thin film process technologies, to add to its fleet of Veeco MBE systems.

IPG will use this system for high-volume manufacturing of laser diodes for fiber lasers. IPG now utilizes multiple Veeco MBE systems in its laser production operations.

“Veeco’s GEN2000 is the perfect complement to our existing set of Veeco MBE systems because of its superior throughput and low production costs,” said Alex Ovtchinnikov, senior VP, components at IPG Photonics. “Having the ability to transfer production methods from our other Veeco MBE systems means we can ramp laser diode production quickly and reliably to meet increasing demand for our fiber lasers.”

With their excellent performance, low power consumption and favorable ownership costs, fiber lasers are becoming the cutting and welding method of choice for materials processing applications, particularly in the automotive industry. As the technology continues to advance, fiber lasers are gaining adoption in other industries, including semiconductor processing, 3D printing and smartphone manufacturing.

The GEN2000 MBE system’s cluster tool design provides a cost effective 7 x 6 in. epiwafer growth of devices such as lasers, multijunction solar cells, and pHEMTs. Its cluster tool architecture minimizes cleanroom space and downtime attributed to maintenance and allows for growth of different materials in connected modules.

Photo courtesy: Veeco Instruments