Tokyo-based Carlit’s consolidated subsidiary Silicon Technology Corporation enters magento-optical material business. The subsidiary has established a stable technology to produce high-purity, high-quality yttrium iron garnet (Y3Fe5012 aka YIG) single crystals.
Established in 1995 in Saku City, Nagano Prefecture, Japan, Silicon Technology has been engaged in the integrated production of silicon materials for semiconductors, from the growth of silicon single crystal using the CZ pulling method to mirror wafer processing and cleaning, at its own facilities. The company also produces silicon materials in an integrated manner. Utilizing these silicon single-crystal growth technologies, Silicon Technology is now expanding its business into the field of magneto-optical materials.
Yttrium Iron Garnet (YIG) is a garnet-type ferrite crystal with exceptional magnetic, optical, and microwave properties, widely used in communication equipment like isolators and circulators. As the demand for faster communication speeds and greater data capacity grows, YIG plays a crucial role, especially with the ongoing adoption of 5G technology and the anticipated development of 6G networks, which are expected to extend across land, sea, air, and space. Despite its importance, producing high-quality YIG single crystals is challenging, requiring advanced production techniques.
Silicon Technology has overcome these challenges by developing a proprietary process that enables the production of high-purity YIG single crystals, from crystal growth to wafer fabrication. With its impending merger with Carlit Co., Ltd. on October 1, 2024, Silicon Technology plans to expand its services to include prototype development and contract melting of crystal materials. The Carlit Group aims to continue contributing to the advancement of cutting-edge technologies in Japan.
