AIXTRON AG · Herzogenrath Germany ·(NASDAQ (GM): AIXG)(German: AIXA)

AIXTRON aches to help make fancy chips. The company is the leading manufacturer of MOCVD (metal-organic chemical vapor deposition) equipment, which chip makers use to produce advanced compound semiconductors for devices such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs), lasers, and fiber-optic components. AIXTRON's systems center around a "planetary reactor," in which multiple wafers revolve while gaseous materials (such as gallium arsenide) are deposited upon them. The company operates in the UK through Thomas Swan Scientific Equipment and in Sweden through Epigress. AIXTRON gets about 90% of its sales outside of Europe. To read the full description, subscribe now.