Aachen/Suzhou, July
03, 2014 – Chinese semiconductor specialist Enkris Semiconductor, Inc. has
successfully demonstrated the manufacture of high voltage Gallium Nitride HEMT
(High Electron Mobility Transistor) structures on 200mm Silicon (GaN-on-Si) by
using an AIXTRON CRIUS® II Close Coupled Showerhead® Reactor.
GaN-on-Si power
devices have attracted much attention from both academics and industry recently
because of their potential applications in power electronics. Due to the
defective nature of heteroepitaxial GaN layers grown on silicon, GaN-on-Si
power devices have suffered from high buffer leakage. Most recently, Enkris Semiconductor
has produced high voltage GaN HEMT materials on 200mm silicon with excellent
uniformity and low buffer leakage combined with excellent thickness uniformity
of <0.5% without edge exclusion. Under special conditions the uniformity
value can be improved even further.
“It has been well accepted that GaN on large
size silicon substrates is the most cost-effective way to achieve high volume
production of GaN power devices. However, a large wafer bow combined with a
high buffer leakage has hindered the further development of the GaN-on-Si
technology so far. Our process on 200mm silicon substrates shows that high
breakdown voltage (>1600V) GaN power devices with low leakage currently can
be achieved with relatively thin buffer layers of 4 µm. They simplify the
growth process, minimize the wafer bow and reduce the epi-cost significantly.
Based on our processes which were applied on AIXTRON’s CRIUS® system, GaN-on-Si
power devices may reach even higher voltages in the near future,” comments Dr.
Cheng Kai, co-founder of Enkris.
Dr. Frank Wischmeyer,
Vice President Power Electronics at AIXTRON, says “Enkris‘ remarkable success
in achieving excellent layer quality and material properties show the
capability of the Closed Coupled Showerhead® technology for high voltage GaN
HEMT applications. The MOCVD technology is enabling the integration of wide
band-semiconductors on large diameter silicon substrates. AIXTRON is committed
to support the power electronics industry advancing toward high volume 200mm
GaN-on-Si device manufacturing.”