Epitaxial deposition and process equipment maker Veeco Instruments Inc of Plainview, NY, USA says that the UK's University of Cambridge has ordered its Propel Power gallium nitride (GaN) metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) system for GaN-on-silicon (Si) power electronics and light-emitting diode (LED) research and development.
The system will be installed at the Cambridge Centre for Gallium Nitride (based in the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy), which is headed by professor Sir Colin Humphreys. The center is said to be one of few places in the world to have, in close proximity and on the same site, GaN growth equipment, extensive advanced electron microscopy characterization facilities, advanced x-ray diffraction characterization facilities, atomic force microscopy, photoluminescence (PL) for measuring optical properties, Hall effect equipment for measuring electrical properties, and basic theory for understanding in detail physical properties.
Since 2000, Humphreys has carried out extensive studies of indium gallium nitride (InGaN) quantum wells used in LED development. GaN-on-Si technology is considered to be a potential cost-saving alternative to GaN-on-sapphire technology.
"After careful consideration, we concluded that Veeco's Propel MOCVD system provides a distinct advantage over other systems to improve and expand our GaN-on-silicon R&D capabilities," says Humphreys, director of research at the University of Cambridge. "Gallium nitride is the most important semiconductor material since silicon for power electronics and LEDs. The Propel PowerGaN platform enables the growth of high-performance device structures in a clean and stable process environment with low particle defects," he adds.
Featuring a single-wafer 200mm reactor platform capable of processing 6- and 8-inch wafers and designed specifically for the power electronics industry, the new Propel Power GaN MOCVD system deposits GaN films for the production of highly efficient power electronic devices. The single-wafer reactor is based on Veeco's TurboDisc MOCVD design and includes the new IsoFlange and SymmHeat technologies that provide homogeneous laminar flow and uniform temperature profile across the entire wafer. Users can easily transfer processes from Veeco's K465i and MaxBright MOCVD systems to the Propel Power GaN platform.
"The Propel PowerGaN single-wafer system enables the development of highly efficient GaN-based power electronic devices that we believe will accelerate the industry's transition from R&D to high-volume production," says Jim Jenson, senior VP, Veeco MOCVD operations. "Since its introduction [last November], our new Propel PowerGan system has quickly gained attention for its outstanding performance," he adds. "We are very excited to have our technology recognized and adopted by such a distinguished university that is at the forefront of GaN-on-silicon development."
According to market analyst firm IHS Research, the GaN power electronics device market is expected to rise at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 90% from 2014 to 2020 as new devices are applied to power supplies, consumer electronics, automotive and other applications.
