News: Suppliers
21 November 2023
Aixtron to deliver G10-GaN MOCVD system to BelGaN by end-2023
Deposition equipment maker Aixtron SE of Herzogenrath, near Aachen, Germany says that it is enabling automotive-qualified gallium nitride (GaN) open foundry BelGaN of Oudenaarde, Belgium to expand its business into the growing GaN market and to accelerate GaN technology innovation. For this strategic step, BelGaN is relying on Aixtron’s new G10-GaN metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) system, which offers what is claimed to be best-in-class performance, an all-new compact design, and overall lowest cost per wafer. Starting with an 8x150mm-wafer configuration, the system will be delivered to BelGaN before the end of 2023 and will in the future migrate to 5x200mm.
The fab in Oudenaarde started as MIETEC in 1983, was acquired by Alcatel in 1990 then AMI Semiconductor in 2002, and sold to ON Semiconductor in 2008. The team there started GaN development in 2009 and has been building expertise in production of automotive semiconductors for over 30 years.
Established in September 2021, BelGaN acquired what was ON Semiconductor Belgium BV from onsemi in early 2022, the site in Oudenaarde has since been transforming from a silicon fab to a GaN fab. BelGaN recently announced the production start of its first-generation 650V eGaN technology. The Gen1 platform is designed for the requirements of energy-efficient applications for sustainability and carbon neutrality.
The G10-GaN will be used to further extend the range of power chips with voltage ratings from 40V to 1200V, using GaN-on-Si, GaN-on-SOI, and novel GaN-on-engineered substrates. It will be applied both on lateral as well as vertical power-GaN products, with a focus on high performance, automotive quality and reliability, high yield, and low costs.
“GaN epitaxy using MOCVD is a most critical process in any power-GaN technology, both to innovate device architectures, boost performance, yield and quality, and to cut down the cost of GaN products. This drives a paradigm shift in power electronics, opening up fast-growing markets in e-mobility, datacom, energy conversion etc, on a road to an electrified, carbon-neutral society,” says Dr Marnix Tack, BelGaN’s chief technology officer & VP business development. “We have been impressed by the high levels of productivity, uniformity and low cost of ownership of Aixtron’s new G10 platform… The proximity of Aixtron, in the midst of the GaN Valley ecosystem, and the collaboration with its team is essential for us to rapidly achieve our innovation and production objectives,” he comments. BelGaN is the founder of the GaN Valley ecosystem, gathering over 55 firms and research institutes active along the GaN value chain in Europe.
“GaN power devices are rapidly adopted in a wide range of applications, and many customers are adding GaN capabilities to their silicon lines,” notes Aixtron’s CEO & president Dr Felix Grawert.
Launched in September, the G10-GaN cluster solution builds on the fundamentals of Aixtron’s existing tool of record, the G5+ C, while extending each performance metric: the new platform delivers twice the productivity per cleanroom area while enabling greater material uniformities. Cost of ownership is reckoned to be more than 25% lower than for any other equipment on the market. The G10-GaN also guarantees the highest throughput per m2/cleanroom and, with full automation end-to-end, it is claimed to be the only MOCVD system fully designed for silicon fabs.
Aixtron’s Q3 revenue and earnings up significantly year-on-year
Aixtron launches G10-GaN MOCVD platform for power and RF devices
