Deposition equipment maker Aixtron SE of Aachen, Germany says that Taiwanese group Episil Semiconductor Wafer Inc has put into operation an AIX G5 WW (Warm-Wall) chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactor for silicon carbide (SiC) epitaxy.
"We chose the Aixtron Planetary Reactor system because we have been impressed by the excellent material quality produced on Aixtron SiC systems," comments Episil's president Dr Ian Chan. "Episil is already a leading producer of silicon-based epitaxy for power management devices and power management integrated circuits," he adds. "We also have experience with Aixtron's MOCVD technology for producing gallium nitride on silicon components (GaN-on-Si) and now plan to expand our portfolio into SiC-based devices."
SiC and GaN are both being developed for power applications. While SiC devices have already been used in switch mode power supplies (SMPS), SiC semiconductor material demands very high growth temperatures, requiring specific solutions for the epitaxial processing equipment. Aixtron says that the AIX G5WW matches these requirements for next-generation SiC power electronics. The system can handle up to 8x150mm-diameter SiC wafers and has the highest wafer throughput in the market, it is claimed, along with fast cycle times and low cost of ownership. Aixtron's engineers have maximized production yields through improved uniformity on 150mm SiC and by developing robust processes.
Episil was the first epitaxial processing facility in Taiwan when it was founded in 1985. The firm now has more than 1400 staff and a total capitalization of about $100m. It also operates a device foundry producing wafers with bipolar, CMOS, DMOS and BCD processes.
