AIXTRON participates in the European Pilot Line for Graphene and 2D Materials

European Commission funds 2D experimental pilot line as part of the Graphene Flagship / Integration of Graphene and Related 2D Materials into semiconductor platform

Herzogenrath/Germany, November 26, 2020 - As one of the world's leading suppliers of deposition equipment to the semiconductor industry, AIXTRON SE (FSE: AIXA) and AIXTRON Ltd (UK) are key partners of the 2D Experimental Pilot Line initiative of the Graphene Flagship. AIXTRON, as one of the tool manufacturers, will be responsible for developing the growth and transfer tools and processes necessary for Graphene and Related Materials (GRM).

In order to scale up and integrate graphene and 2D materials into semiconductor devices, AIXTRON will develop a Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) reactor for growth of these materials directly on to large substrates up to 300mm using its proprietary Close Coupled Showerhead^(R) (CCS) technology. Direct growth allows industrial grade 2D materials and their associated heterostructures to be grown in situ for front-end applications.

For effective back-end integration, AIXTRON will investigate novel processes as well as develop an automated transfer system of 2D material structures on to device wafers. These platforms will provide key capabilities for the pilot line in realizing large scale integration of graphene and 2D materials into logic, memory, photonic and sensor devices.

2D-EPL covers the whole value chain

The European Commission is providing 20 million euros over 4 years for the 2D Experimental Pilot Line (2D-EPL) which started on 1 October 2020. The project will establish an European ecosystem for prototype production of GRM based electronics, photonics and sensors.

The 2D-EPL, comprising 11 partners, covers the whole value chain, including equipment manufacturers, chemical and material providers and pilot processing lines. This will achieve the objective of providing prototyping services to not only the core Graphene Flagship project, but also to external companies, research centers and academics to rapidly drive the adoption of graphene and 2D materials in wafer-scale devices.

"We are very excited to be part of the 2D-EPL project. As a technology leader in semiconductor equipment for more than 30 years, our core expertise is to develop innovative solutions for complex material deposition - and deposition solutions for graphene and 2D materials are a key part of our product portfolio. These materials require very precise composition as well as thickness control down to one atomic layer, and we will leverage the technologies from our semiconductor production platforms to make this new class of materials a success for wafer scale devices," says Professor Dr. Michael Heuken, Vice President Corporate Research & Development of AIXTRON SE and Professor at RWTH Aachen University.

Further information about the 2D-EPL of the Graphene Flagship is available at https://graphene-flagship.eu/pilot-line.

The 2D Experimental Pilot Line has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 649953.

Contact persons

Guido Pickert
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PHONE +49 (2407) 9030-444
MOBILE +49 (173) 5407062
MAIL [email protected]

Rita Syre
Senior PR Manager
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About AIXTRON

AIXTRON SE is a leading provider of deposition equipment to the semiconductor industry. The Company was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Herzogenrath (near Aachen), Germany, with subsidiaries and sales offices in Asia, United States and in Europe. AIXTRON's technology solutions are used by a diverse range of customers worldwide to build advanced components for electronic and opto-electronic applications based on compound, or organic semiconductor materials. Such components are used in a broad range of innovative applications, technologies and industries. These include LED applications, display technologies, data storage, data transmission, energy management and conversion, communication, signaling and lighting as well as a range of other leading-edge technologies.

Our registered Trademarks: AIXACT(R), AIXTRON(R), Atomic Level SolutionS(R), Close Coupled Showerhead(R), CRIUS(R), Gas Foil Rotation(R), OVPD(R), Planetary Reactor(R), PVPD(R), TriJet(R)

For further information on AIXTRON (FSE: AIXA, ISIN DE000A0WMPJ6; OTC: AIXNY) please visit our website at: www.aixtron.com

Forward-Looking Statements

This document may contain forward-looking statements regarding the business, results of operations, financial condition and earnings outlook of AIXTRON. These statements may be identified by words such as "may", "will", "expect", "anticipate", "contemplate", "intend", "plan", "believe", "continue" and "estimate" and variations of such words or similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are based on our current assessments, expectations and assumptions, of which many are beyond control of AIXTRON, and are subject to risks and uncertainties. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Should these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying expectations not occur or assumptions prove incorrect, actual results, performance or achievements of AIXTRON may materially vary from those described explicitly or implicitly in the relevant forward-looking statement. This could result from a variety of factors, such as actual customer orders received by AIXTRON, the level of demand for deposition technology in the market, the timing of final acceptance of products by customers, the condition of financial markets and access to financing for AIXTRON, general conditions in the market for deposition plants and macroeconomic conditions, cancellations, rescheduling or delays in product shipments, production capacity constraints, extended sales and qualification cycles, difficulties in the production process, the general development in the semi-conductor industry, increased competition, fluctuations in exchange rates, availability of public funding, fluctuations and/or changes in interest rates, delays in developing and marketing new products, a deterioration of the general economic situation and any other factors discussed in any reports or other announcements , in particular in the chapter Risks in the Annual Report, filed by AIXTRON. Any forward-looking statements contained in this document are based on current expectations and projections of the executive board based on information available the date hereof. AIXTRON undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless expressly required to do so by law.

This document is an English language translation of a document in German language. In case of discrepancies, the German language document shall prevail and shall be the valid version.