Aonex’s technology development efforts are directed toward commercializing a method for manufacturing semiconductor nanomaterials. The Aonex process involves creating nano-layers of expensive semiconductor materials and oxides on low-cost substrates (e.g., silicon, sapphire, and glass), with no adhesives and with controlled stress. The process could produce high-performance laminate wafers (e.g. indium phosphide-on-silicon and germanium-on-silicon) that offer the electrical and optical characteristics of exotic semiconductor materials and mechanical stability levels associated with silicon.

If the method can be advanced to reliable mass production, these engineered substrates are expected to reduce manufacturing costs and improve performance for select device applications including LEDs, high frequency power amplifiers, and high-efficiency solar cells. With even further development, this type of technology could enable the integration of optical, logical, and high frequency power amplification devices into single dies — an industry trend termed ‘system on a chip’ (SoC).

Currently, Aonex is performing on-going testing of its layering method on two target materials, using a combination of its own fully-operational clean room and outsourced facilities.