9 June 2016

SDK expands capacity of high-grade SiC epi for mass production to 3000 wafers per month

Tokyo-based Showa Denko K.K. (SDK) has expanded its capacity for producing high-quality-grade silicon carbide (SiC) epitaxial wafers for power devices, and begun mass production of the High-Grade Epi (HGE) wafers. The expanded HGE production facility has a capacity of 3000 wafers per month (equivalent, for power devices with a breakdown voltage of 1200V).

HGE is a grade of SiC epiwafer with very low crystal defect density, developed and commercialized by SDK in October 2015. SDK has since been working on sample shipments to device makers. SDK says that HGE can contribute to improving the reliability of SiC metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFETs) by controlling the number of basal plane dislocation (the typical crystal defect) to under 0.1/cm2. 

Moreover, the establishment of technology to lower the number of defects has enabled SDK to mass produce thick-film epiwafers (with a thickness of 100µm or more) and p-type epiwafers (both for potential use in bipolar power devices), which are said to be difficult to produce with conventional technologies. SDK expects its thick-film HGE to contribute significantly to the development of SiC insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBT), which can be used as ultra-high-voltage devices for power generation/transmission systems.

The market for SiC epiwafers for power devices is expected to reach 100 billion yen in 2025 as the early use of SiC power devices in vehicles is under consideration. SDK says that it will continue to meet market demand for high-quality SiC epiwafers, aiming to contribute to the improvement in energy efficiency of power devices.

See related items:

SDK to start shipping very low-defect-density SiC epiwafers

SDK boosts 6" SiC epi production capacity for power devices from 400 to 1100 wafers per month

Showa Denko launching 6" SiC epiwafers for inverter power devices

Tags: SDK SiC epitaxy

Visit: www.sdk.co.jp