Silicon is a lower cost raw material, and it has greater economies of scale in manufacturing than sapphire wafers most often used. Hong Kong University and Taiwan National Chiao Tung University researchers attempted to grow (380-450nm) indium gallium nitride LEDs on Silicon.
The researchers previously developed micro-scale patterning using a silicon nitride (SiN) mask. Now they find Silicon also has a higher thermal conductivity which gives it better thermal control than sapphire.
