NXP Semiconductors and A*STAR Institute of Microelectronics to Develop Next Generation 8" GaN-ON-Si Power Devices

A*STAR Institute of Microelectronics (IME) and NXP Semiconductors, a world-leading semiconductor company, have entered into research collaboration to develop a 200mm gallium nitride-on-silicon (GaN-on-Si) process and technology for high voltage power devices to deliver highly efficient energy solutions in end applications such as computing and communications, aerospace and automotive applications. 
 
The IME and NXP team will collaborate on the development of process technologies for the manufacturing of GaN devices on 200mm wafer, which is expected to bring about considerable reduction in manufacturing cost compared to using smaller size wafers. The work will be carried out in IME‘s state-of-the art 200mm engineering fab which offers the best-in-class GaN metal organic chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD) capabilities for the production of GaN wafers.
 
“This collaboration is a win-win partnership between IME and NXP to innovate a new generation of power devices,” commented Professor Dim-Lee Kwong. “IME’s GaN-on-Si research programme can play a vital role in helping our partners achieve commercial success in GaN power electronics.”
 
“This collaboration is an important step in our strategy to address the need for dramatically improved efficiency in power conversion through innovative engineering solutions to meet the needs of our customers,” said Dr. Michael Bolt, Director NXP Research Asia Lab.
 
Gallium nitride is one of the most important semiconductor materials since silicon and has been used as the key material for next generation high frequency, high power transistors capable of operating at high temperatures. GaN-on-Si offers the key advantages of combining high operation voltage, high switching speed, low loss, and high integration level, on large diameter Si wafers. The CMOS-compatible device process that leverages the economics of scale and compatibility with high throughput and high capacity 200mm Si based wafer process technology offers significant opportunity for cost-efficient volume production.

Provided by Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore