JP Sercel Associates (JPSA), a manufacturer of laser scribing and laser liftoff systems for LED production, announced that its 2010 shipments of laser processing systems for LEDs is up 250 percent in the first three quarters over 2009 shipments. The increasing demand for high-throughput 266-nm front-side scribing tools for sapphire and high-brightness LED wafers is being driven primarily by major Taiwanese and Korean manufacturers. “Our 266-nm front-side scribing continues to dominate the market because we are able to provide LED manufacturers higher-throughput systems that enable more die to be packed onto each wafer,” said Jeffrey Sercel, founder and chief technical officer of JPSA. “The increased die density and reduced damage from the laser scribing produces significantly higher yields than mechanical or saw dicing methods. To maintain our strong market presence, we continue to develop advanced processes in both scribing and laser liftoff applications and expect these applications to lead the way for the LED market.” JPSA’s recently released automation platform for the IX 6100 laser scribing and laser liftoff systems is also shipping to LED manufacturers. The new wafer load-and-unload automation module, the Integrated Automation Platform, provides customers with dual-cassette wafer ports, further streamlining the manufacturing process and increasing yields. For continued development of advanced micromachining processes and production space, JPSA is in the final stages of expanding its Manchester headquarters. The completion is scheduled for October 2010 and will also provide state-of-the-art cleanrooms, R&D laboratories and ergonomic office space to accommodate growing customer service and engineering teams. For more information, visit: www.jpsalaser.com