News Article
Soitec achieves gallium nitride substrate breakthrough
French silicon-on-insulator wafer maker Soitec has announced that it has made the world's first single-crystal, thin-film gallium nitride (GaN)-on-insulator substrate.
French silicon-on-insulator wafer maker Soitec has announced that it has made the world's first single-crystal, thin-film gallium nitride (GaN)-on-insulator substrate.
The breakthrough paves the way for the development of high-performance blue and white light-emitting diodes and improved current and performance in radio-frequency and discrete power applications.
Soitec manufactured the new substrate using its Smart Cut technology to split and transfer a thin layer of GaN from a high-quality GaN donor wafer onto a carrier wafer.
The research work was carried out by Soitec and Picogiga (Soitec's compound semiconductor substrate division) at the Smart Cut Enabling Application Laboratory (SCEALAB) - a joint initiative between Soitec and French semiconductor research consortium CEA-Leti.
"This first demonstration of GaN-based substrates was made possible thanks to Smart Cut technology, and it is truly an outstanding SCEALAB achievement," said Picogiga chief operating officer Jean-Luc Ledys.
"This GaN capability is a part of our roadmap strategy to develop and supply advanced engineered substrates for compound semiconductors for a variety of applications."
In addition to GaN-on-insulator, Soitec is also pioneering other novel substrates technologies, not least silicon-on-polysilicon carbide, silicon carbide-on-insulator and silicon carbide-on-polysilicon carbide.
The breakthrough paves the way for the development of high-performance blue and white light-emitting diodes and improved current and performance in radio-frequency and discrete power applications.
Soitec manufactured the new substrate using its Smart Cut technology to split and transfer a thin layer of GaN from a high-quality GaN donor wafer onto a carrier wafer.
The research work was carried out by Soitec and Picogiga (Soitec's compound semiconductor substrate division) at the Smart Cut Enabling Application Laboratory (SCEALAB) - a joint initiative between Soitec and French semiconductor research consortium CEA-Leti.
"This first demonstration of GaN-based substrates was made possible thanks to Smart Cut technology, and it is truly an outstanding SCEALAB achievement," said Picogiga chief operating officer Jean-Luc Ledys.
"This GaN capability is a part of our roadmap strategy to develop and supply advanced engineered substrates for compound semiconductors for a variety of applications."
In addition to GaN-on-insulator, Soitec is also pioneering other novel substrates technologies, not least silicon-on-polysilicon carbide, silicon carbide-on-insulator and silicon carbide-on-polysilicon carbide.
