BluGlass Ltd of Sydney, Australia has completed the design, installation as well as commissioning of its fifth-generation remote RPCVD system.

It has developed a low-temperature process using RPCVD to grow materials including GaN and InGaN on glass substrates for the production of LEDs since spinning off from the III-nitride department of Macquarie University in 2005.

Also, in May 2009, BluGlass said that it intended to develop high-efficiency group III-nitride solar cells as a supplementary market for its RPCVD technology. Construction of the new tool was enabled as part of the $4.95m grant awarded in June last year under the Commonwealth Government's Climate Ready program for its 'High Efficiency Thin Film Solar Cell Project'.

According to chief technology officer Ian Mann,BluGlass' plant in Silverwater now has an additional 50% nitride deposition capacity onsite, with three RPCVD tools running concurrent programs aimed at optimizing the technology. "This will accelerate the development of RPCVD for commercial applications, in both the company's market streams — LED and photovoltaic (solar)."

It estimates that demonstration of the new system should accelerate its technology roadmap and advance its discussions with potential strategic partners.