News: Suppliers
26 June 2025
IKZ, PVA Tepla and Siltronic project to provide 4” AlN for power electronics and UV photonics
Germany’s Leibniz-Institut für Kristallzüchtung im Forschungsverbund Berlin e.V. (IKZ), Wettenberg-based microwave & radio frequency plasma system maker PVA TePla AG and Munich-based silicon wafer maker Siltronic AG are collaborating in a project to scale up aluminium nitride (AlN) crystal growth. The project focuses on the fabrication of 4-inch AlN substrates to enable advanced applications in high-power electronics and ultraviolet photonics.
Ultra-wide bandgap (UWBG) AlN is characterized by intrinsic properties that include high critical electric field strength, superior thermal conductivity, and optical transparency in the ultraviolet spectrum. These attributes make AlN a highly promising substrate and device material for next-generation power electronic components and UV disinfection technologies, enabling compact, energy-efficient, and thermally robust device architectures.
The project’s focus on scaling AlN crystal diameters from 2-inches to 4-inches addresses a fundamental requirement for transitioning this key material from research-scale to industrial manufacturing environments. The project aims to contribute to advancing Europe's sovereignty in semiconductor materials research. AlN-based power electronics enable major efficiency gains in electro-mobility, renewable energy, and industrial systems. In UV photonics, new opportunities arise in areas such as disinfection (preventing pandemics and water treatment), production technology (material processing), agriculture (yield enhancement), as well as sensors and medical applications.
The partners are leveraging their respective core competencies to jointly develop a market-ready technology for the industrial production of AlN crystals.
The Leibniz Institute for Crystal Growth (IKZ) has long-standing expertise in growing AlN crystals and has a proven 2-inch AlN crystal growth platform. Due to a leading position in producing high-quality AlN wafers, the institute is widely acknowledged as a European reference in this field of technology, it is claimed.
Siltronic (one of the world’s leading producers of silicon wafers, using both Czochralski and float-zone methods) contributes its experience in R&D of substrates for power electronics and in precision metrology – both of which are crucial for the industrial application of AlN wafers.
PVA TePla provides high-tech solutions in material and metrology technology, with decades of experience in manufacturing crystal growing systems. With its expertise in the physical vapor transport (PVT) method, particularly based on comprehensive experience from the silicon carbide (SiC) market, PVA TePla says that it provides the technological equipment foundation for a reliable and reproducible growth process for bulk AlN crystals with industry-relevant diameters. This is a central prerequisite for scaling and industrializing AlN technology.
Through their collaboration, IKZ, PVA TePla and Siltronic say they are demonstrating their commitment to Europe’s technological sovereignty and the sustainable development of a semiconductor materials value chain. “Expansion from 2-inch to 4-inch is a crucial milestone in making AlN accessible for mass production,” say the project partners. “Thanks to the synergies among the partners, we can overcome the technological barriers.”
German researchers demo practical implementation of AlN-based value chain for power semiconductors
FBH-led project ‘power transistors based on AlN (ForMikro-LeitBAN)’ launched
