China’s InnoScience orders Aixtron AIX G5+ C MOCVD systems for manufacturing 650V GaN-on-Si devices

Deposition equipment maker Aixtron SE of Herzogenrath, near Aachen, Germany is to deliver multiple AIX G5+ C MOCVD systems to China’s InnoScience Technology Co Ltd for the development of gallium nitride (GaN) power devices, which are increasingly favored over silicon power devices due to their superior performance at high frequency. All Aixtron cluster tools will feature a 5x200mm-wafer configuration and will be shipped by second-quarter 2019.

Compared with traditional Si-based power chips, GaN power devices have very low conduction loss, switching loss and off-state loss due to a higher breakdown strength, faster switching speed, higher thermal conductivity and lower on-resistance. They are already being used for applications such as efficient power supplies for PCs and servers or LiDAR (light detection and ranging) and wireless power transfer requiring high-speed switching higher than 1MHz. In addition, they also have advantages for electric vehicle (EV) applications like on-board chargers (OBC) because of a significantly reduced system size through superior thermal properties and a reduction in the number of passive components.

In the scope of the increasing number of applications, Aixtron says that the AIX G5+ C platform can demonstrate its advantages in manufacturing since it allows for scalable processes, tight uniformity and particle control of the epitaxial wafers to enable the highest yield and maximum throughput at the lowest cost of ownership.

“We have chosen the AIX G5+ C as it has proven to provide excellent thickness and wafer uniformity due to the superior capabilities of the Planetary batch reactor concept,” comments InnoScience’s CEO Jay Son. “The newly acquired systems will enable us to ramp up manufacturing of our high-end products such as 650V GaN-on-Si devices with the best cost per wafer in the market,” he adds.

“Market demand for power electronics, especially for GaN-based devices, is picking up speed,” notes Aixtron’s president Dr Felix Grawert. “We are pleased that InnoScience leads the way in China and has decided to select this system, which convinces not only by performance but also by making the production of GaN power devices commercially viable.”

Founded in December 2015, InnoScience’s first fab is located in Zhuhai National Hi-Tech District, where it has established China’s first mass-production line for 8-inch enhancement-mode (E-mode) GaN-on-Si power devices.

Tags: Aixtron MOCVD GaN-on-Si

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