News: Suppliers
3 July 2025
Aixtron leading project to increase energy efficiency in SiC layer deposition
In cooperation with Erlangen-based Fraunhofer IISB (Institute for Integrated Systems and Device Technology) and Neuss-based bimanu Cloud Solutions GmbH in Germany, Herzogenrath-based deposition equipment maker Aixtron SE is leading a joint project ‘Increasing Energy Efficiency in SiC Epitaxy’.
Funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the aim of the €28.4m project is to increase resource efficiency (water and energy consumption, waste volume) in the production of layer structures made from silicon carbide (SiC). AI-based methods are being researched and developed for both material- and energy-efficient manufacturing processes and products. The target is to halve the electrical energy required per unit area in the manufacture of SiC semiconductors.
“Semiconductors based on SiC offer significantly better energy efficiency than conventional silicon, for example in electro-mobility or renewable energies. However, the production of semiconductors is fundamentally energy-intensive. We therefore see a particularly significant opportunity here to make the production of these forward-looking technologies even more efficient and thus promote their widespread use and the green transformation,” says professor Michael Heuken, Aixtron’s VP Advanced Technologies.
Based on the project work, production processes are to be improved and recommendations for action researched. This is where bimanu's expertise will come into play. The software provider specializes in data integration and analysis in the areas of business intelligence, marketing analytics, Industry 4.0, and energy management.
Fraunhofer IISB is contributing its expertise in SiC, both in R&D in this material class and in the further development of processes, for which it operates the only continuous 150mm SiC development line in Germany.
Aixtron’s focus within the project will be on researching tool technology and thus advancing tool development. To this end, several test systems will be set up and operated. The simulation models will be verified on these tools, while the data and models will be developed and tested in cooperation with bimanu.
Aixtron launches G10-SiC 200mm CVD system
Aixtron partners with Fraunhofer IISB to enhance SiC production technology
