News: Suppliers
1 December 2020
Transphorm selects Veeco MOCVD platform for GaN-based power & 5G RF devices
Epitaxial deposition and process equipment maker Veeco Instruments Inc of Plainview, NY, USA says that its Propel 300 HVM metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) system has been selected by Transphorm Inc of Goleta, near Santa Barbara, CA, USA — which designs and manufactures JEDEC- and AEC-Q101-qualified high-voltage (HV) gallium nitride (GaN) field-effect transistors (FETs) for high-voltage (HV) power conversion applications — for high-volume production of GaN-based RF (Department of Defense and commercial/5G) and power electronics epiwafers.
The system has been purchased under US DoD Office of Naval Research (ONR) contract number N68335-19-C-0107 from an OUSD (R&E) TAM/MINSEC program to establish a US-based dedicated production source of GaN epitaxy for high-performance RF and millimeter-wave electronics. The system was selected for its capability to deliver the cutting-edge process at high throughput and what is claimed to be the lowest cost per wafer compared with other MOCVD systems.
“Being at the forefront of GaN-based power and 5G devices that offer efficiency and high power density requires world-class manufacturing solutions that are capable of scaling to mass production while offering flexibility to continuously innovate,” comments Transphorm’s chief technology officer & co-founder Umesh Mishra Ph.D. “Veeco’s Propel HVM system is uniquely qualified to do that. The multi-reactor, single-wafer technology provides flexibility and exceptional throughput at a low cost of ownership.”
The Propel system can be used for demanding GaN applications critical for next-generation communications infrastructure and highly efficient power devices. Its single-wafer reactor platform enables the processing of 6- and 8-inch wafers or 2- to 4-inch wafers in a mini-batch mode. It accelerates production ramping due to faster recipe capabilities up to 50% quicker than when using traditional batch tools. In addition to Veeco’s proprietary TurboDisc technology, the system also includes the firm’s IsoFlange and SymmHeat technologies, which provide homogeneous laminar flow and uniform temperature profile across the entire wafer for optimal uniformity and repeatability.
“Transphorm’s decision to adopt our high-volume MOCVD technology is proof of the system’s uniformity, throughput, repeatability and cost of ownership advantages over batch technology,” says Veeco’s chief technology officer Ajit Paranjpe Ph.D. “We appreciate the collaboration with Dr Lee McCarthy, Dr Umesh Mishra and Dr Primit Parikh at Transphorm during their technology evaluation.”
Veeco’s Propel HVM MOCVD platform chosen by Korea’s A-Pro
