IQE and II-VI Inc. Launch 150mm GaN HEMT Epi Wafers on SiC Substrates
CompoundSemi News StaffMay 13, 2013...IQE of Cardiff, UK announced the launch of gallium nitride based, high
electron mobility transistor (GaN HEMT) epitaxial wafers on 150mm diameter
semi-insulating silicon carbide (SiC) substrates. The SiC substrates are
supplied by the WBG Materials subsidiary of II-VI Inc., a provider of
optoelectronic components.
IQE says that GaN power amplifiers offer superior power capability,
efficiency, bandwidth and linearity compared with silicon (Si) or gallium
arsenide (GaAs)-based technologies commonly used. IQE contends that GaN power
amplifiers also lower overall system costs. Additionally, the company says that
GaN-based low-noise amplifiers exhibit improved robustness, noise figure and
dynamic range when compared to incumbent solutions. According to IQE, GaN-based
transistors can operate at high temperatures, thus reducing system cost, size
and weight.
IQE says that the higher cost of epitaxial material grown on 100mm SiC
substrates has limited the commercial market penetration of GaN HEMTs. However,
IQE says that its 150mm products are compatible with LDMOS processing lines,
and its customers have demonstrated the use of LDMOS to fabricate GaN HEMTs.
Russ Wagner, VP of IQE wireless business unit said,"Scaling up to 150mm
wafer diameter is a critical milestone on the path to technological maturity
and wide market acceptance of GaN HEMTs on SiC." Wagner added,"We are
very pleased with the quality of substrates supplied by II-VI Inc. and look
forward to continuing our partnership as we execute volume production ramp and
expand IQE's range of advanced high-power high-frequency transistor products
for defense and wireless infrastructure applications." Skyworks New Family of Antenna Switches Supports Carrier Aggregation
CompoundSemi News StaffMay 13, 2013...Skyworks Solutions, Inc. of Woburn, Massachusetts USA has introduced RF
switching technology that is enabling early adopters to implement carrier
aggregation solutions. Carrier aggregation allows mobile service providers to
use utilizing two or more bands simultaneously instead of the single band
method used currently to combine spectrum and increase data rate throughput for
an enriched data experience regardless of location. As an increasing amount of
data is downloaded to smartphones, Skyworks says that mobile operators are
driving carrier aggregation to help increase the efficiency and speed of
today’s saturated mobile networks.
Skyworks’ devices support standardized inputs to popular industry
chipsets (MIPI RFFE compatible) and address both transmit (Tx) and receive (Rx)
switching paths.
“Skyworks’ carrier aggregation switching solutions, which
are compliant to tier-one, carrier-driven specifications, offer dedicated
receive diversity functionality to accompany the primary antenna-switch
path,” said David Stasey, vice president and general manager of
analog solutions at Skyworks. Fumihide “Humi” Esaka Joins TransPhorm as CEO
CompoundSemi News StaffMay 13, 2013...Transphorm Inc. based in Goleta, California USA, announced that Fumihide
“Humi” Esaka will join Transphorm as its new CEO starting July 1,
2013. The company says that Esaka will play a pivotal role in its expansion in
providing GaN-based power conversion in power supplies and adapters, motor
drives, solar panels, and electric vehicles. Esaka is currently CEO of Nihon
Inter Electronics Corporation (NIEC), a Tokyo Stock Exchange-listed company and
is also the former Vice President - Japan Sales of NYSE-listed International
Rectifier (IR).
“When launching in 2007, we started with a breakthrough technology
and ambitions to redefine energy efficiency,” said Transphorm
Co-founder and CEO Umesh Mishra. “Since then, we’ve eliminated
every daunting technical obstacle that’s stood in our way and just
released the world’s first qualified GaN on Silicon product. I’m
proud to hand over the reins to someone as accomplished as Humi, and continue
to work with him and Primit Parikh (Co-Founder and President) in my capacity as
Chairman and CTO to help make GaN the industry standard in electric power
conversion.”
“Without question, Transphorm has assembled the most impressive
GaN technical and engineering talent on the planet and produced solutions that
satisfy customer demands for better form factor and efficiency,”
said incoming Transphorm CEO Humi Esaka. “The mission is meaningful:
use Transphorm’s technology to cut total world electrical energy waste by
more than 50 percent. I am eager to engage with the entire team to build a
lasting and memorable company.” Excelitas Technologies Introduces 905nm Pulsed Laser Diode
CompoundSemi News StaffMay 13, 2013...Excelitas Technologies’ Surface Mount 905 nm pulsed semiconductor laser is designed specifically for high volume applications such as laser therapy, range finders, safety light curtains and adaptive cruise control. Multi-cavity layers concentrate the emitting source size and create three emitting active areas. When operated at 30A, these areas produce 70W of peak optical output power on average. The laser is mounted on an FR4 substrate, a leadless laminate carrier (LLC), which Excelitas says provides thermal management and power stability. The laser diode is intended for surface mount application and for hybrid integration. The diode encapsulate material is a molded epoxy resin for low cost and high-volume manufacturing. International Rectifier Begins Shipping GaN-on-Silicon Power Device Components
CompoundSemi News StaffMay 13, 2013...International Rectifier of El Segundo, California USA, reports that it has
qualified and shipped gallium nitride-on-silicon power device components for a
leading consumer electronics company’s home theater systems. The company
says that this commercialization was made possible through the company’s
high throughput, 150mm GaN-on-Si epitaxy along with subsequent device
fabrication processes that are compatible with the company’s silicon
manufacturing facilities. IR says that the technology offers a
capital-efficient manufacturing model that enables customers with improvements
in key application-specific figures of merit (FOM) of up to a factor of ten
compared to state-of-the-art silicon-based technology.
IR’s President and CEO, Oleg Khaykin stated, “We fully
anticipate the potential impact of GaN-based technology on the power conversion
market to be at least as large as the introduction of the power HEXFET® by IR
over 30 years ago.” IQE Launches New, Dedicated Infrared Products Division
CompoundSemi News StaffMay 6, 2013...IQE of Cardiff, UK, announced the launch of a new division, ‘IQE
Infrared’. IQE Infrared will provide its customers with a complete
‘one stop shop’ for infrared substrate and epitaxial wafer
materials covering short to very long wavelength (SWIR to VLWIR) regimes. The
new division launch is part of IQE’s overall rebranding to enable the
Group to enhance its customers' experiences in its key markets.
IQE is a leading supplier of substrates and epitaxial wafers for infrared
sensing applications ranging from night vision and thermal imaging devices to
energy conversion solutions for both military and consumer products. The new
IQE Infrared will focus on infrared detector materials based on gallium and
indium antimonide (GaSb and InSb) and indium phosphide (InP). Dr. Mark J.
Furlong, currently General Manager of IQE’s substrate divisions, will
head the new division which will offer products from across the IQE Group of
companies.
Dr. Mark J. Furlong, VP IQE Infrared, stated, “The opportunity to
establish a new business unit with an exclusive focus on infrared materials
will give IQE better opportunities to combine its substrate and epitaxial wafer
products for serving a broader range of customers and even broader range of
infrared device applications." M/A-COM Technology Solutions Announces New 500 W Power Transistor
CompoundSemi News StaffMay 6, 2013...M/A-COM Technology Solutions Inc. of Lowell, Massachusetts USA, has
introduced a new GaN on SiC HEMT Power Transistor for L-Band pulsed radar
applications. The MAGX-001214-500L00 is a gold-metalized pre-matched GaN on
silicon carbide transistor optimized for pulsed L-Band radar applications. The
MAGX-001214-500L00 provides 500 W of output power with 19 dB of gain and 55%
efficiency. The device, which operates at 55% efficiency, boasts what the
company says are very high breakdown voltages. According to M/A-Com these high
breakdown voltages allow for operation at 50 V under more extreme load mismatch
conditions.
“The transistor is a clear leader in high pulsed power GaN
technology with 500 W of output power combined with excellent gain, efficiency
and rugged performance,” said Paul Beasly, Product Manager.
“The device is an ideal candidate for customers looking to upgrade
L-Band radar systems to the next level of pulsed power performance and
experience the solid reliability that is offered by M/A-COM Tech GaN Power
Solutions.”
MAGX-001214-500L00 operates between the 1200 MHz – 1400 MHz frequency
range and has a mean time to failure (MTTF) of 5.3*10^6 hours. It is available
as both flanged and flangeless packaged devices. TriQuint Produces GaN HEMTs Using GaN-on-Diamond Wafers
CompoundSemi News StaffMay 6, 2013...TriQuint Semiconductor, Inc. of Hillsboro, Oregon USA, announced the
production of gallium nitride (GaN) high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs)
using GaN-on-diamond wafers. The GaN-on-diamond wafers substantially reduce
semiconductor temperatures while maintaining high RF performance. TriQuint
successfully transfered a semiconductor epitaxial overlay onto a synthetic
diamond substrate. This provides high thermal conductivity and low thermal
boundary resistance, while preserving critical GaN crystalline layers.
TriQuint demonstrated its new GaN-on-diamond, high electron mobility
transistors (HEMT) in conjunction with partners at the University of Bristol,
Group4 Labs and Lockheed Martin under the Defense Advanced Research Projects
Agency’s (DARPA) Near Junction Thermal Transport (NJTT) program. TriQuint
claims that its new technology enables RF amplifiers that are up to three times
smaller or up to three times the power of today’s GaN solutions.
NJTT focuses on device thermal resistance 'near the junction' of the
transistor. Thermal resistance inside device structures can be responsible for
more than 50% of normal operational temperature increases. TriQuint research
has shown that GaN RF devices can operate at a much higher power density and in
smaller sizes, through its highly effective thermal management techniques.
Operating temperature largely determines high performance semiconductor
reliability. It’s especially critical for GaN devices that are capable of
very high power densities.
James L. Klein, vice president and general manager for infrastructure and
defense products commented, “By increasing the thermal conductivity
and reducing device temperature, we are enabling new generations of GaN devices
that may be much smaller than today’s products. ” CrystAl-N Launches 2-Inch Bulk AlN
CompoundSemi News StaffMay 6, 2013...CrystAl-N, a German maker of AlN crystals is shifting its production from
1-inch to 2-inch AlN and accepting pre-orders of the new material. CrystAl-N is accepting pre-orders now. The company was founded in 2010 as a spin-off of Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg. The company
says that its AlN substrates will boost the efficiency of deep UV LEDs, lasers
and high-power, high-frequency devices as soon as its cost-performance ratio is competitive. Furthermore CrystAl-N says that shifting production to larger
substrates will help to improve cost performance ratio.
Company CTO Boris Epelbaum commented, "Further diameter increase in our
patented tungsten based furnaces is not limited as we are using SiC as initial
seed."
Wafer polishing drastically improved as well for the AlN substrates.
"The corresponding wafers feature surface roughness of less than 0.3 nm and
are highly UV transparent," said Octavian Filip, director of wafering. Our news features are reported
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