Detailed explanation of third-generation semiconductor materials: silicon carbide and gallium nitride
Latest update time：2024-09-13
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Author | Nanwan Beixiang
Produced by | Chip Technology and Process
Wide bandgap materials have been under research and development for many years, and the properties they exhibit have made design engineers very excited. Compared with traditional silicon-based devices, wide bandgap devices represent a huge leap in performance. They can operate at extreme temperatures and withstand higher power densities, voltages, and frequencies, making wide bandgap materials popular in next-generation electronic systems.
Among the many wide bandgap materials, gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC) are particularly prominent. They not only show great potential in switch applications, but also show bright prospects in the field of RF power. At present, the industry has extensive and in-depth discussions on the comparison between GaN and SiC, their respective applicable semiconductor devices, and their adaptability in different switch and RF power applications.
With the continuous advancement of technology and the gradual reduction of costs, SiC and GaN will not only continue to promote the development of electronic technology, but will also achieve breakthroughs in their respective fields to meet the needs of different application scenarios.
#01
The development history of semiconductor materials
1. The first generation of semiconductor materials:
The first generation of semiconductor materials mainly refers to silicon (Si) and germanium (Ge) materials. In the 1950s, germanium dominated the semiconductor market due to its use in low-voltage, low-frequency, medium-power transistors and photodetectors. However, germanium semiconductor devices have deficiencies in high temperature resistance and radiation resistance, which led to their gradual replacement by silicon devices in the late 1960s. Semiconductor devices made of silicon materials are not only resistant to high temperatures and radiation, but also significantly improve the stability and reliability of the devices by using high-purity sputtered silicon dioxide (SiO2) films. Silicon has become the most widely used semiconductor material due to its excellent performance. Currently, more than 95% of semiconductor devices and more than 99% of integrated circuits are made of silicon materials. Although silicon's leadership and core position in the semiconductor industry remains unchanged in the 21st century, its physical properties limit its application in optoelectronics and high-frequency and high-power devices.
2. Second
generation semiconductor materials:
The second generation of semiconductor materials mainly include compound semiconductor materials, such as gallium arsenide (GaAs), indium antimonide (InSb); ternary compound semiconductors, such as GaAsAl, GaAsP; solid solution semiconductors, such as germanium silicon (Ge-Si), gallium arsenide-gallium phosphide (GaAs-GaP); glass semiconductors (amorphous semiconductors), such as amorphous silicon, glass oxide semiconductors; and organic semiconductors, such as phthalocyanine, copper phthalocyanine, polyacrylonitrile, etc. These materials are mainly used to produce high-speed, high-frequency, high-power and light-emitting electronic devices, and are excellent materials for manufacturing high-performance microwave, millimeter wave devices and light-emitting devices. With the development of information technology and the Internet, the second generation of semiconductor materials have been widely used in satellite communications, mobile communications, optical communications, GPS navigation and other fields. However, the scarcity and high cost of gallium arsenide and indium phosphide materials, as well as their toxicity and environmental pollution problems, limit the further application of these materials.
3. Third generation semiconductor materials:
The third generation of semiconductor materials refers to materials with a wide band gap (Eg ≥ 2.3eV), including silicon carbide (SiC), gallium nitride (GaN), zinc oxide (ZnO), diamond and aluminum nitride (AlN). These materials are widely used in semiconductor lighting, power electronics, lasers and detectors, and each field has different industrial maturity. The third generation of semiconductor materials, with their wide band gap characteristics, show great potential in high temperature, high frequency, high efficiency and high power electronic devices, and are an important direction for the development of semiconductor technology in the future. Although these materials are still in the development stage, they are expected to gradually replace the first two generations of semiconductor materials in many fields, especially in those applications with extremely high performance requirements.
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Properties/Algebra
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First generation semiconductors
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Second generation semiconductor
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Third generation semiconductors
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Material Type
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Elemental semiconductor
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Compound Semiconductors
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Compound Semiconductors
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Representative Materials
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Silicon [Si], Germanium [Ge], some solid solutions [Ge-Si, GaAs-GaP]; glass semiconductors
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[Gallium arsenide (GaAs), indium antimony (InSb)], ternary compound
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Silicon carbide [SiC], gallium nitride [GaN], zinc oxide [ZnO], aluminum nitride [AlN]
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application
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Used in more than 95% of semiconductor devices and more than 99% of integrated circuits
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High-speed, high-frequency, high-power and radiation-resistant electronic equipment
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Electronic devices with high temperature resistance, high frequency, high radiation resistance, high efficiency and better heat dissipation performance
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advantage
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High purity, good conductivity, high electron mobility, high breakdown voltage
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High electron mobility, high saturation rate, high stability and radiation resistance
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Wide bandgap, high breakdown electric field, high thermal conductivity, high efficiency, better heat dissipation performance
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shortcoming
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Not explicitly listed
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GaAs and InP materials are scarce and expensive; they are toxic and may pollute the environment
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Still in its infancy and has not yet replaced the previous two generations of semiconductor materials
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#02
Silicon carbide and gallium nitride: Compound power semiconductors have lower losses than silicon
Wide bandgap materials are defined by the energy difference between the top of their valence band and the bottom of their conduction band, a transition that requires energy usually exceeding 1 to 2 electron volts (eV). Silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) are representatives of this class of materials, and are also called compound semiconductors because they are composed of different elements in the periodic table.
Silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) as compound power semiconductor materials have attracted widespread attention due to their excellent performance. Compared with traditional silicon materials, these compound semiconductors show lower losses and higher efficiency. Silicon carbide is a compound composed of carbon and silicon, while gallium nitride is a compound composed of gallium and nitrogen, hence the name "compound semiconductor". They have wider band gaps than silicon, 3.3eV and 3.4eV respectively, relative to silicon's 1.1eV, making them also called "wide bandgap semiconductors."
The high dielectric breakdown field strength of wide bandgap semiconductors enables these materials to achieve the same breakdown voltage as silicon on thinner voltage-resistant layers, which makes it possible to design smaller and more efficient power electronic devices. Silicon carbide and gallium nitride have high electron mobility and low resistance loss when conducting electricity, which makes them more efficient than silicon in power conversion applications, especially in high-temperature and high-frequency operations.
These materials can operate stably at higher temperatures, reducing the need for complex cooling systems, which is particularly important in automotive, aerospace and industrial applications. Silicon carbide and gallium nitride have broad application prospects and are increasingly being used in electric vehicles, solar inverters, power management, and wireless communication base stations to improve energy efficiency and performance.
With the advancement of technology and the reduction of production costs, silicon carbide and gallium nitride are expected to occupy a more important position in the future semiconductor market, promote the continuous innovation and development of power electronics technology, and are widely regarded as the "next generation of power semiconductors" leading the future power electronics field.
#03
Silicon Carbide (SiC) and Gallium Nitride (GaN): Superior Physical Properties
SiC and GaN provide more possibilities for the design and implementation of modern electronic systems due to their wide bandgap, high critical electric field, high electron mobility and excellent thermal conductivity. SiC shows its unique advantages in high-power applications, while GaN shows its potential in high-frequency operations. With the continuous advancement of technology, these wide bandgap materials will play a more critical role in future electronic systems, promoting innovation and development in power electronics, radio frequency communications and many other fields.
Silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) have occupied an important position in the field of semiconductor materials with their excellent physical properties. These materials not only perform well as wide-bandgap semiconductors, but also surpass silicon in their own properties. In terms of the key indicator of semiconductor performance (εμeEc^3), the performance of silicon carbide is 440 times that of silicon, while gallium nitride is 1130 times that of silicon, indicating that they have significant advantages in electron mobility and breakdown field strength.
As the potential of these materials is gradually being explored, related peripheral technologies are also constantly improving to better utilize the properties of these compound semiconductors. By replacing traditional silicon semiconductors with silicon carbide or gallium nitride, more compact and energy-efficient electronic devices can be designed, which is particularly important in the field of power electronics.
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Physical properties
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First Generation
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Second Generation
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Third Generation
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Si
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GaAs
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InP
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SiC
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GaN
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Bandgap(eV)
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1.12
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1.4
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1.3
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3.2
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3.39
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Relative dielectric constant
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11.7
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13.1
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12.5
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9.7
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9.8
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Breakdown field strength (mV/cm)
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0.3
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0.4
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0.5
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2.2
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3.3
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Electron drift saturation velocity (10^7cm/s)
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1
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2
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1
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2
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2.5
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Thermal conductivity (W/cm-K)
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1.5
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0.5
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0.7
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4.5
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2~3
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Electron mobility (cm^2/Ns)
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1350
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8500
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5400
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900
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1000
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Power density (W/mm)
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0.2
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0.5
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1.8
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~10
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>30
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1. Bandgap width (eV)
In solid state physics, band gap is a crucial concept that defines a special region of electron energy level distribution inside a solid. This energy range is called band gap or energy gap, and its characteristic is that there are no allowed electronic states in this interval. In the electronic band structure diagram of a solid, the band gap usually refers to the energy difference between the top of the valence band and the bottom of the conduction band, and this energy difference is measured in electron volts (eV).
The valence band is a collection of lower energy states formed when electrons are shared between atoms, while the conduction band is a collection of higher energy states where electrons can move relatively freely. The size of the band gap is directly related to the energy required to excite an electron from the valence band to the conduction band, a process that is essential for the electron to be released as a free charge carrier. Free charge carriers are able to move freely within the solid material and thus participate in the conduction process.
The presence of a band gap is a key factor in determining the electrical conductivity of a solid. Generally speaking, materials with larger band gaps are insulators, usually with an energy difference greater than 4 electron volts (eV), because it is difficult for electrons to obtain enough energy to cross the band gap, thus limiting the flow of charge. Materials with smaller band gaps are semiconductors, where electrons can easily jump from the valence band to the conduction band under appropriate conditions (such as increased temperature or light), making the material have a certain electrical conductivity. Conductors, on the other hand, have very small band gaps or no band gap at all, because their valence bands and conduction bands may overlap, allowing electrons to move freely even at room temperature. For example, when discussing the band gap of semiconductor materials, it is mentioned that they have a specific band gap, such as the band gap of silicon is about 1.1 eV, which means that electrons need at least 1.1 electron volts of energy to jump from the valence band to the conduction band, thereby moving freely in the material and conducting electricity.
In semiconductor technology, the bandgap characteristics of materials can be adjusted by means such as doping, thereby finely controlling their electrical properties. For example, wide bandgap semiconductors such as silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) have high electron mobility and high breakdown electric field strength, making them very suitable for high-power and high-temperature applications. The bandgap characteristics of these materials make them play an important role in high-efficiency energy conversion, electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, and various high-performance electronic devices. With the continuous advancement of materials science and device engineering, the in-depth understanding and application of bandgap will promote the continuous innovation and development of electronic technology.
2. Relative dielectric constant
The relative dielectric constant (relative permittivity) of a semiconductor, usually
represented by the symbol , is a dimensionless value used to describe the polarization degree of the dielectric in the semiconductor material, that is, the strength of the material's ability to store charge under the action of an external electric field.
Third-generation semiconductor materials, such as silicon carbide (SiC), gallium nitride (GaN), diamond, etc., do generally have lower relative dielectric constants than first-generation (such as silicon Si) and second-generation (such as gallium arsenide GaAs) semiconductor materials.
Specifically, the relative dielectric constant values of third-generation semiconductor materials are roughly as follows:
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SiC: The relative dielectric constant is approximately between 9.6 and 10.3.
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GaN: The relative dielectric constant is approximately between 8.9 and 9.5.
These values are compared with silicon (Si), which has a relative dielectric constant of about 11.7, and it can be seen that the relative dielectric constant of third-generation semiconductor materials is indeed low. This characteristic makes third-generation semiconductors particularly suitable for power electronic devices in high-voltage, high-frequency and high-temperature environments, such as traction inverters for electric vehicles, solar inverters, and power conversion systems for high-speed railways.
3. Breakdown field strength (mV/cm)
The breakdown field strength of a semiconductor refers to the critical electric field strength that can cause avalanche breakdown in a semiconductor material.
Avalanche breakdown refers to the phenomenon that under the action of a high electric field, carriers (electrons or holes) gain enough energy to collide with lattice atoms to produce more electron-hole pairs, resulting in a sharp increase in current.
The breakdown field strength is usually expressed in volts per centimeter (V/cm) or volts per meter (V/m). This parameter is very important for designing high-voltage semiconductor devices because it determines the maximum electric field strength that the device can withstand without breakdown.
The following are the approximate ranges of breakdown fields for some common semiconductor materials:
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Silicon (Si): At room temperature, the breakdown field strength of silicon is approximately 2×10^5 to 3×10^5 V/cm.
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Silicon Carbide (SiC): The breakdown field strength of SiC is much higher than that of silicon, approximately 2×10^6 to 3×10^6 V/cm, which makes SiC very suitable for high voltage applications.
4. Flowing saturation velocity (10^7cm/s)
Electron Drift Velocity Saturation in semiconductors refers to the situation that after the drift velocity of electrons in semiconductor materials reaches a maximum value under a certain external electric field, the drift velocity will not increase significantly even if the electric field strength continues to increase. This phenomenon is because under high electric fields, collisions between electrons and the lattice (phonon scattering) become more frequent, limiting the further increase of electron velocity.
In practical applications, the electron drift saturation velocity is of great significance for the design of high-speed semiconductor devices, such as transistors and diodes. The performance of these devices depends largely on the speed at which carriers move through them. Therefore, understanding and optimizing the electron drift saturation velocity is crucial to improving device performance.
The third generation of semiconductor materials, including silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN), do show a higher electron drift saturation velocity due to their unique physical properties. The electron drift saturation velocity of these materials is usually higher than that of traditional silicon (Si) semiconductor materials, which is crucial for the design and application of high-performance electronic devices.
The characteristics of electron drift saturation velocity of the third generation semiconductor are:
Silicon Carbide (SiC):
The electron drift saturation velocity of SiC can reach the order of 107cm/s, which makes SiC very suitable for high-power and high-frequency applications such as traction inverters and high-frequency power converters in electric vehicles.
Gallium Nitride (GaN):
GaN exhibits extremely high electron mobility in the HEMT (high electron mobility transistor) structure, and its electron drift saturation velocity is also very fast, making it suitable for microwave frequency devices and fast switching applications.
5. Thermal conductivity
The thermal conductivity of a semiconductor is a physical quantity that describes the ability of a material to transfer heat through a unit area in a unit time along a temperature gradient. It is usually represented by the symbol k, and its unit is watt per meter Kelvin (W/m·K).
Thermal conductivity is one of the important physical properties of semiconductor materials. It is crucial to the design and performance of power electronic devices because these devices generate heat when they work. Materials with high thermal conductivity can more effectively conduct heat from the inside of the device to the outside, thus helping to maintain the device at a suitable operating temperature.
The following are the thermal conductivity ranges for some common semiconductor materials:
1. Silicon (Si):
As the most commonly used semiconductor material, the thermal conductivity of silicon is about 150-160 W/m·K at room temperature.
2. Silicon Carbide (SiC):
A third-generation semiconductor material with very high thermal conductivity of about 400-500 W/m·K, which makes SiC very suitable for high-power, high-temperature applications.
3. Gallium Nitride (GaN):
Another third-generation semiconductor material, GaN has a low thermal conductivity of about 130-230 W/m·K at room temperature, depending on the crystal orientation and quality of the crystal.
6. Electron Mobility
Electron Mobility is a physical quantity that measures the ability of electrons in semiconductors or insulating materials to move under the action of an electric field. It is defined as the ratio of the average drift kinetic energy of electrons to the electric field strength acting on the electrons. The mathematical expression is: μe=v/F
Where: μe represents the electron mobility. v represents the drift velocity of the electron. F represents the electric field force acting on the electron.
The unit of electron mobility is square centimeters per volt per second (cm²/Vs), which reflects the number of square centimeters that electrons can drift per second under the action of an electric field of 1 volt/cm. This parameter is crucial to the performance of semiconductor devices because it directly affects the response speed and current carrying capacity of the device.
7. Power density
Semiconductor power density refers to the power level that can be sustained per unit area in a semiconductor device, usually measured in watts per millimeter (W/mm). This parameter is critical to evaluating the performance of semiconductor devices in high-power applications because it involves thermal management and reliability of the device. In high-power applications such as electric vehicles, solar inverters, and high-frequency power converters, high-power-density semiconductor devices are very popular because they can provide higher power in a smaller size while maintaining high efficiency and fast response.
Figure of Merit
Over the years, researchers have developed a variety of performance comparison indices (Figure of Merit, referred to as FoM) to evaluate and compare the performance of different power semiconductor materials. These indices are widely used in the field of power electronics. Among them, the Johnson FoM, Keyes FoM, Baliga FoM and Baliga high-frequency FoM are particularly famous.
The Johnson FoM focuses on the power-frequency characteristics of low-voltage transistors, providing an important performance evaluation benchmark for low-voltage applications. The Keyes FoM looks at the switching behavior of transistors in integrated circuits and their thermal limitations, helping designers understand and optimize the thermal performance of devices. The Baliga FoM focuses on conduction losses in low-frequency unipolar transistors, and provides direction for optimizing the efficiency of power semiconductors by identifying material parameters that affect conduction losses. The Baliga high-frequency FoM highlights the advantages of using wide-bandgap materials such as silicon carbide (SiC) in high-frequency applications, which can significantly reduce power consumption compared to traditional semiconductors.
The Baliga FoM is an important indicator for measuring the performance of semiconductor materials in low-frequency unipolar transistors. It evaluates the potential performance of materials in specific applications by considering key properties such as electron mobility, breakdown field strength, and on-resistance. This indicator is crucial for designing high-efficiency power devices, especially in applications such as power converters, electric vehicle chargers, and motor drives that require low conduction losses.
, where ε is the dielectric constant of the material, μ is the electron mobility, and
Eb
is the critical breakdown electric field.
In terms of silicon carbide wafer substrates, improvements in quality in recent years have enabled the use of larger diameter wafers, which has promoted the development and adoption of high-current and low-cost devices. These advances have made it possible to manufacture more efficient and cost-effective power electronic devices.
Despite this, the cost of GaN wafer substrates is still high, which limits its widespread adoption in high-current applications. As a solution, the industry generally adopts a horizontal structure in which the GaN active layer is formed on a low-cost silicon wafer substrate. Although this approach faces challenges in manufacturing high-current products, through process miniaturization, GaN has been increasingly widely used in applications that require extremely fast switching operations, such as RF power amplifiers and high-efficiency power converters.
In general, as power semiconductor materials in the post-silicon era, silicon carbide and gallium nitride have broad development prospects and are expected to play a more critical role in future electronic devices. With the advancement of manufacturing technology and the reduction of costs, the application of these materials will be further expanded, promoting the innovation and progress of power electronics technology.
Wide-bandgap (WBG) semiconductor technologies, such as silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN), are taking center stage in today’s tech world, promising revolutionary changes from enabling wireless charging to dramatically reducing the size of power converters.
Although GaN was launched later than SiC and has been relatively slow to gain market share due to cost, yield and reliability issues, in theory, GaN has the potential to achieve faster switching speeds because its electron mobility far exceeds that of SiC and Si. However, GaN's thermal conductivity is only about one-third of SiC, which limits its potential for application in terms of power density.
Currently, SiC devices are widely used in voltage levels of about 650V to 1.2kV or even higher, while GaN devices are mainly limited to the voltage level of 650V. In this voltage range, GaN is difficult to compete with SiC in terms of cost and maturity. GaN suppliers expect that as costs decrease, it will be more widely used in low-voltage/power markets, including data centers, electric vehicles/hybrid vehicles, and photovoltaics.
Gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC) transistors are becoming increasingly available, making them ideal for meeting the challenges of automotive electrical equipment. Key benefits of these devices include:
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Supports voltage levels up to 650V, 900V and 1200V
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Achieve faster switching speeds
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Able to operate stably at higher temperatures
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Reduce conductive resistance, minimize power loss, and improve energy efficiency
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Features/Advantages/Applications
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Gallium Nitride (GaN) Detailed Description
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Silicon Carbide (SiC) Detailed Description
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characteristic
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Wide Band Gap
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Has a wide bandgap, suitable for high frequency applications
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With wide bandgap, suitable for high temperature and high voltage applications
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High electron mobility
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High electron mobility helps to increase switching speed
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Electron mobility is higher than silicon, but lower than GaN
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High breakdown voltage
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High breakdown voltage, suitable for high voltage environment
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Extremely high breakdown voltage, suitable for higher voltage environments
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High temperature stability
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High temperature resistant, but not as stable as SiC
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Very high temperature resistance, suitable for extreme temperature environments
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Advantages
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Improved efficiency
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Low on-resistance and low harmonic loss improve power conversion efficiency
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Low on-resistance, reduced conduction loss, improved efficiency
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Compact design
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High power density makes the device design more compact
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High power density enables compact design
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Quick switch
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Fast switching capability to reduce switching losses
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Switching speed is faster than silicon, but not as fast as GaN
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High voltage operation
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Suitable for higher voltage environments
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Especially suitable for high voltage environments
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Reduce conduction losses
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Low on-resistance and small conduction loss
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Low on-resistance and small conduction loss
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Heat tolerance
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Can withstand certain high temperatures, but not as good as SiC
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Able to withstand extreme heat
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application
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DC/DC Converters
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Used in electric vehicles and data centers to improve efficiency
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For high voltage applications such as electric vehicles and renewable energy systems
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Improve efficiency
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Improving efficiency in various power conversion scenarios
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Improving Efficiency in High Voltage Power Conversion
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Solar Inverter
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Improving the energy conversion efficiency of solar inverters
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Improving energy conversion efficiency and power density of solar inverters
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Motor drive
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Improving motor drive control performance
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Improving the efficiency and power density of motor drives
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Grid Integration
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Suitable for grid integration applications requiring high efficiency
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Suitable for grid integration applications requiring high efficiency and high voltage
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Railway Applications
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Improving Electric Motor Drive Efficiency in Railway Applications
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Improving electric motor drive efficiency and reliability in railway applications
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In summary, GaN and SiC semiconductors provide significant performance improvements in power conversion systems due to their unique physical properties and advantages, especially in terms of efficiency, power density and high temperature tolerance.
As these wide bandgap materials continue to advance and their costs decrease, they are expected to play an even more critical role in future power electronics, driving innovation and development in a wide range of industries, including electric vehicles, renewable energy, and efficient power management.
#04
SiC GaN Market Landscape
In today's semiconductor industry, SiC (silicon carbide) and GaN (gallium nitride), as third-generation semiconductor materials, are leading technological innovation in multiple fields with their outstanding performance. These materials are playing an increasingly important role in consumer electronics, automotive electronics, industrial automation, 5G communications and other markets with their high efficiency, high frequency and high temperature resistance.
As of 2023, the global SiC power device market size has reached US$1.972 billion and is expected to grow to US$2.623 billion in the following year.
The industrial chain of SiC and GaN covers the production of substrates and epitaxial wafers to the manufacture of devices and modules, and the final application covers many cutting-edge fields such as 5G communications, new energy vehicles, and photovoltaic industries. In particular, silicon carbide substrates and epitaxial wafers, as key links in device manufacturing, have high technical barriers and their market size is also expanding. In 2023, the global market size of conductive and semi-insulating silicon carbide substrates reached US$684 million and US$281 million, respectively, and is expected to grow to US$907 million and US$326 million, respectively, in 2024.
In the field of SiC and GaN, international manufacturers currently dominate the market. However, Chinese companies such as SICC have jumped to second place in the global market share ranking of conductive silicon carbide substrate materials, demonstrating the competitiveness of domestic companies in this field.
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Links
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International Suppliers
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Domestic Suppliers
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SiC Substrate
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II-VI, Wolfspeed, SiCrystal, Norstel, GTAT, Showa Denko, Transform, DowCorning, Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal, NOVASiC
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Sanan Integrated Circuit, Shandong Tianyue, Tianke Heda, Century Golden Optics, Deqing Zhoujing, Zhongke Steel Research Institute Energy Saving, Shenzhou Technology, Tongguang Crystal, China Electronics Technology Group Corporation, Tiantong Kaicheng, Nansha Wafer, Lianke Crystal
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SiC Epitaxy
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DowCorning, Ascatron, Norstel, Wolfspeed, Rohm, Mitsubishi Electric, Infineon, Showa Denko
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Sanan Integrated Circuit, Tianyu Semiconductor, Puxing Electronics, Guosheng Electronics, Hantian Tiancheng, Guomin Tiancheng, Century Golden Light, Tianke Heda, Nanjing Baishi, China Electronics Technology Group Corporation 13th, 46th, 55th Institute, Huatian Semiconductor, Tus-Holdings
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SiC Devices
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Littelfuse, Infineon, ST, Wolfspeed, Toshiba, Mitsubishi Electric, Fuji Electric, Rohm, GeneSiC, Microsemi
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Sanan Optoelectronics, Tyco Tianrun, Yangjie Technology, Silan Microelectronics, Huarun Microelectronics, Green Energy Chip Innovation, Shanghai Zhanxin, Basic Semiconductor, CRRC
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SiC Applications
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Tesla, China Mobile, China Telecom, Sungrow, Porsche, Siemens, Delphi, Huawei
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BYD, CRRC
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In terms of silicon carbide wafer substrates, improvements in quality in recent years have enabled the use of larger diameter wafers, which has promoted the development and adoption of high-current and low-cost devices. These advances have made it possible to manufacture more efficient and cost-effective power electronic devices.
In the GaN field, companies such as GaN Systems, Transphorm, and VisIC are active in the market and have received widespread attention from the capital market.
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Links
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International Suppliers
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Domestic Suppliers
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GaN substrate
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SUMCO, Ti, ST, Infineon, ON Semiconductor, Wolfspeed, Sumitomo Electric, Fujitsu, Siltronic, Shin-Etsu Chemical, etc.
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SunEdison, NSIG, Nexperia, Hejing, Navitas, Dongguan SMIC, Xinyuanji, etc.
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GaN Epitaxy
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NTTAT, Tonghe Holdings, IQE, EpiGaN, BRIDG, ST, Infineon, ON Semiconductor, TI, Panasonic, Fujitsu, Transphorm, Exagan, etc.
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EPISIL, Jiajing, Julicheng, Jueneng Jingyuan, Win Semiconductors, Huanyu, World Advanced, Julicheng, Suzhou Jingzhan, Century Jinguang, Nenghua Micro, etc.
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GaN Devices
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Qorvo, Infineon, NXP, Wolfspeed, Sumitomo Electric, ADI, MACOM, Intel Transphorm, Exagan, etc.
GaN Systems, Navitas Semiconductor, VisiC Technologies, Efficient Power Conversion, Dialog, GaN Power, Tagore Technology, etc.
X-FAB, TowerJazz, BRIDG, Fujitsu, Amkor, AT&S, etc.
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Hiwin, Suzhou Nengxun, Innoscience, Sanan Integrated Circuit, Huajin Chuangwei, etc.
Silan Microelectronics, Innoscience, China Resources Microelectronics, Ga-Future, JuNeng Jingyuan, Nenghua Microelectronics, Core Crown Technology, etc.
TSMC, EPISIL, World Advanced, Universal Communications, Nitride Technology, Changdian Technology, ASE, Tianshui Huatian, Siliconware Precision Industries, Wuhu TusPark, etc.
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The cost of GaN wafer substrates is still high, which limits its widespread adoption in high-current applications. As a solution, the industry generally adopts a horizontal structure in which the GaN active layer is formed on a low-cost silicon wafer substrate. Although this approach faces challenges in manufacturing high-current products, through process miniaturization, GaN has been increasingly widely used in applications that require extremely fast switching operations, such as RF power amplifiers and high-efficiency power converters.
In general, as power semiconductor materials in the post-silicon era, silicon carbide and gallium nitride have broad development prospects and are expected to play a more critical role in future electronic devices. With the advancement of manufacturing technology and the reduction of costs, the application of these materials will be further expanded, promoting the innovation and progress of power electronics technology.
The capital market's interest in SiC and GaN continues to grow, and many Chinese companies have successfully obtained investment, which reflects the market's optimistic expectations for the future development prospects of these materials. Despite the rapid market growth, SiC and GaN power semiconductors still face some challenges, including high manufacturing costs and uncertainty in supply chain stability. However, with the continuous expansion of 5G technology, the continued growth of the electric vehicle market, and the deepening of military and aerospace applications, the market potential of these semiconductor materials is huge, providing abundant opportunities for industry participants.
Note: The cover image is from the Douban movie "The Flash" stills
refer to:
1. GaN power device industry chain- Ruiguan.com (reportrc.com)
2. Si, SiC, and GaN for Power Devices, Part One: Electron Energy and the Semiconductors | Engineering.com
3. What Is Band Gap (Energy Gap) ? (powerwaywafer.com)
4. Big news! "Third Generation Semiconductor-Gallium Nitride Technology Insight Report" released - Electronic Engineering Times (eet-china.com)
5. Silicon carbide patent analysis shows firms building vertically integrated supply chains (semiconductor-today.com)
6. The Creation and Potential Cell Structures of SiC Devices - Technical Articles (eepower.com)
7. The third generation of wide bandgap power semiconductors is accelerating its development, and my country may catch up_devices (sohu.com)
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