Presentation at CS International 2020 are grouped into 5 key themes which collectively provide complete coverage of the compound semiconductor industry.
If you are interested in speaking at CS International 2020, please contact [email protected] or call +44 (0)24 7671 8970.
As 5G network and device deployments increase, the electronics industry is realizing that this is both a blessing and a curse. The blessing is these new applications will increase quantities at a time when the market is flattening. The curse is that backhaul requirements create more optical backhaul and transport opportunities. This presentation explores drivers and trends for data traffic and the impact on GaAs content in front-ends. It will also address the GaAs opportunities in fiber transport applications and assess the GaAs foundry capabilities in this supply chain versus the pure-play RF GaAs foundries.
Due to its higher power efficiency, GaN is heir apparent to silicon for 5G RF applications. GaN-based 5G power amplifiers can efficiently handle higher voltage in a much smaller area than comparable laterally diffused MOSFET (LDMOS) devices. Another factor which makes GaN attractive is its ability to power a much wider range of mmWave 5G frequencies than standard silicon. However, growing GaN epitaxial wafers has unique challenges. The quality of substrate wafer or non-optimal metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) reactor conditions may impact device yield or reliability due to the presence of killer defects on the epitaxial layer. When there is a mismatch between the lattice constant and the thermal expansion coefficient of the epitaxial and substrate materials, high lattice stress may also lead to cracking and/or slip lines. We will discuss how multiple complementary inspection and metrology techniques can be used to detect critical defects on GaN wafers. We will also discuss how feedback from inspection & metrology systems can be used effectively to improve device yield.
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Vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) are now key optical sources in gigabit ethernet, high-speed optical-area networks, and computer links because of the advantages they offer, such as low threshold current and a small structure. During conventional blade dicing of VCSELs fabricated on gallium-arsenide (GaAs) substrates, GaAs wafers are fragile and chipping or edge cracks can easily occur. Hence, in the case of conventional saw processes, generally the kerf must be wider and the blade feed speed must be slower in order to avoid device damage due to chipping or edge cracks, which cause limitation of productivity. Plasma dicing has been proposed as a new wafer singulation method. The plasma dicing process is a technology to dice the entire wafer into chips at once [3]. As the wafer is processed using a chemical reaction by plasma, plasma dicing does not cause any physical damage to chips, regardless of the wafer thickness. Thus, the plasma dicing process eliminates chipping and cracks at the edge of chips. In addition, the number of chips which can be taken from one wafer are able to be increased by reducing kerf width, which is approximately the same as the opening width of photo resist during the lithography process before plasma dicing. In this report, we apply plasma dicing to VCSEL on GaAs substrate and demonstrate GaAs dicing, with no chipping at the edge of VCSELs or surface particles.
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High yield micro- LED production calls for optimized device transfer from wafer to micro-display levels which also drives the requirements for micro-LED sputter systems. As device structures get thinner and device densities on the wafer get higher, the requirements for PVD production platforms and processes get even more stringent. The future needs of the Optoelectronics industry for such tools and components will be addressed in this talk including an optimized deposition environment and process control.
This talk introduces the latest progress of Sony’s GaN-based visible VCSELs with features such as plane and curved mirrors made of dielectric materials. This novel class of GaN-based VCSELs allow small apertures down to 3 μm and long cavities of more than 20 μm without the occurrence of diffraction loss. These structures have enabled low threshold currents, high efficiency operation, and robust fabrication processes with high lasing yield. The proposed structure is facilitating the production of VCSELs formed on semi-polar plane GaN substrates and arrayed VCSELs, allowing green VCSELs and watt-class blue VCSEL arrays.
As the LED landscape moves from traditional LED to Mini and Micro LED form factors, the linewidth dimensions and spaces are shrinking. Pattern definition using Metal Lift-off becomes more challenging. A collaboration between vendors provides an opportunity to optimize the lithography, metallization and lift-off processes required for these smaller features. This is a continuation of work presented last year at CS Mantech. The current work is focusing on sub-500nm dimensions. As the line/space dimensions become smaller the resist thickness for the MLO structure becomes thinner. Optimizing the MLO structure and metallization parameters we have evaluated the metal thickness limits as a function of linewidth.
Sometimes reinventing the wheel can be the right path to advance technology. As industrialization of optical materials shifted from communication application centered NIR wavelengths to the blue spectrum of nitrides in the late nineties to then extend to deep ultraviolet emitter and sensor materials, we see it now trending back to the infrared and beyond for both communication and machine vision applications. The basic metrology concepts from 30 years ago still apply however automation, device optical sensitivity, lasers and other components that make up characterization equipment has tremendously evolved since then. We look at some of the things we can do now that we could not do then.
This presentation will focus on Plessey’s pioneering proprietary approach to enable manufacturing of monolithic microLED arrays using gallium nitride (GaN)-on-silicon (Si) technologies to develop better optimised AR/MR and wearable displays applications. It describes the problems associated with incumbent micro-display technologies which are prohibiting the advancement of new innovative technologies which microLEDs can help solve.
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In recent years, GaN has become a forefront wide bandgap semiconductor material for nextgeneration, energy-efficient power electronics. With its higher breakdown strength, faster switching speed and lower on-resistance, GaN power devices can convert power far more efficiently than Si-based devices. While its performance is commercially demonstrated, widespread GaN adoption requires a scalable and high-yielding manufacturable technology platform enabling economies of scale and a full spectrum of low-cost products such as lateral and vertical power switches extending from 100V to 1,200V and beyond, monolithic ICs and rectifiers. QROMIS’ disruptive commercial solution to high volume, low cost and scalable GaN device manufacturing has been steadily gaining traction, owing to unique properties of speciallydesigned CMOS fab-friendly and semi-spec substrate called “QST®” (QROMIS Substrate Technology) with a core having a thermal expansion that very closely matches the thermal expansion of the GaN/AlGaN epitaxial layers. QST® enables breakage-free high-volume manufacturing of standard semi-spec thickness 200mm GaN device wafers (scalable to 300mm), covering all GaN applications including 100V-to-1800V high performance power devices, RF devices, and display microLEDs. In this talk, the following status updates on 200mm QST®-based materials and device technologies will be presented: (1) commercial QST® substrate products, (2) commercial GaNon-QST® epi-wafer products, including development studies on epi-wafers for 1,200V and beyond applications, (3) high-performance normally-off 650V p-GaN based GaN-on-QST® HEMT transistors & monolithic ICs (with integrated drivers and logic) fabricated in a CMOS fab and commercialization timelines, (4) 200mm GaN-on-QST® device foundry services for the industry players, and (5) initial high-performance GaN-on-QST® RF device results.
GaN and SiC Power devices are now commercially available, the next generation will be more complex structures and for wide scale adoption both technical challenges must be overcome and costs reduced. By focussed development and leveraging over 37 years of CS technology knowledge Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology has produced advanced remote Plasma Enhanced Atomic Layer Deposition (PE ALD) and Plasma Etch solutions that give superior device performance and cost down per wafer. Remote PE ALD is used to create dense high k films for gate dielectrics and passivation. While Atomic Layer Etching (ALE) introduces a new paradigm in etch depth accuracy, essential for recessed GaN HEMTs. Working closely with our customers we ensure they have the tools to get the most out of their devices.
Expected market size growth especially of SiC-on-SiC based devices (key driver: automotive, e-mobility) and of GaN-on-SiC devices (key driver: 5G) placed several new challenges for improving the related MOCVD processes in yield, cost reduction and performance. In our contribution we focus on the newly developed capabilities of in-situ metrology for SiC-on-SiC structures (6” SiC wafer temperature sensing and wafer bow control) as grown in AIXTRON’s planetary warm-wall reactors. We further report on latest progress in multi-wavelength growth-rate control and improved absolute wafer temperature calibration for GaN-on-SiC MOCVD as well as on a latest break-through for GaN-on-Si wafer temperature sensing.
With the commercial availability of GaN-based power devices, the positioning of the technology versus next best silicon or SiC-based alternatives is a hot topic in the industry. Reliability aspects and system benefits are key issues driving the adoption of the technology. We will discuss a number of use cases such as hyper-scale datacenter and high-density telecom power supplies to outline decision factors in favor of GaN-based solutions. We will compare performance indicators towards the next best alternatives. The talk addresses both power supply engineers as well as market analysts and trend scouts.
Historically, silicon-based power semiconductors have served as the backbone of power systems, but wide bandgap (WBG) devices are changing this. As the market for these devices grow, it is important to understand what drives the commercial market to use WBG devices versus the more established Silicon technologies. WBG materials deliver results that aren’t possible with silicon in the areas of Power and RF. These improvements can have a significant impact in reducing overall electricity consumption worldwide, and in particular, SiC is enabling electric vehicles with longer range and lower cost. This adoption is driving a very rapid expansion for the SiC market and supply chain.
GaN-on-Silicon is a key technology to sustain future power converter systems roadmaps in the field of IT electronics, renewable solar and emission free automotive applications. Exagan implemented proprietary 200-mm GaN-on-Silicon technology to accelerate GaN market adoption. G-FET™ & G-Drive™ product portfolio, provide extensive power range capabilities, as well as power switching solutions that combine the super-fast GaN-on-Silicon switch with its appropriate driver IC controlled by embedded diagnostics, protections and, much more functionalities. Those “easy to use” GaN solutions will help power innovators extending power conversion roadmaps, by creating smaller, more efficient and higher-performing power converters.
DISCO has developed laser full cutting and laser grooving over the recent years as a pillar of Kiru (=dicing) technology, alongside blade dicing. Ablation laser cutting can be used for full-cut dicing of various materials such as thin Si and GaAs, Germanium substrates as well as for laser grooving of metal and Low-k material. Stealth Dicing on the other hand is modifying the workpiece from the inside, creating a modified layer by focusing a laser inside the workpiece. The workpiece can be separated by an expander afterwards almost without material loss. This method is mainly used for MEMS, Glass, and Sapphire. We will also introduce Laser based applications like LEAF (Laser Enhanced Ablation Filling) and LLO (Laser Lift Off) for µLED production. KABRA is a new laser cutting method for slicing SiC ingots instead of use of a wire saw. Approx. 40% more SiC wafers can be gained from one ingot. Finally DISCO’s CONDOx technology allows for thinning wafers of all kind of materials to a final Si thickness of 25 μm, even with 200 μm high bumps, without residues and any wafer breakage.
A factory is inherently made of moving parts in the form of process nodes. Led by complex statistical means and process-engineering expertise, a new set of models based on reinforcement learning and other deep-learning networks has the ability to transform factory optimization. Reinforcing agents in a factory environment allow for generative improvements in control and design, while maintaining predefined product-performance specifications. Examples of how this is being explored in Nanotronics’ labs and with partners will be presented, along with ideas of where the future for artificially intelligent factories is headed.
This presentation will share key findings from the latest IHS Markit Technology report on Silicon Carbide and Gallium Nitride Power Semiconductors. It will present the likely key applications, pricing trends, the supplier landscape and the latest ten-year forecasts by application for both technologies. It will identify which technologies can compete with silicon in terms of device type and likely adoption by end applications. The SiC & GaN wafer substrate supply chain will also be discussed. Finally, I will try to answer the question: Are Cree/Wolfspeed's expansion plans (announced in May 2019) intended to monopolize the SiC market?
A major issue faced by the SiC industry is linked to the question of how to ramp up the production and meet the ever-growing demand of materials for the power electronics sector. In order to achieve this, the SiC wafer supply needs to develop a means to drive the cost of production down. One method of doing this is by improving yield. Silicon Carbide wafer growth and device manufacturing have improved significantly but the process yields are still too low due to the high densities of crystalline defects, particularly as substrate sizes increase, which are damaging the device performance and their long-term reliability. It is therefore critical to develop new metrology techniques that are capable of detecting these defects allowing to understand how they form and giving a means to reduce or eliminate them. We introduce high speed X-ray diffraction Imaging (XRDI, sometimes known as X-ray topography) as one of these techniques. It enables the non-destructive detection of the detrimental TSDs, TEDs, SFs and BPDs on all types of SiC wafers, including n+ doped substrates, without some of the limitations of existing etch and optical inspection methods. It is a viable candidate to replace destructive KOH etching in the long term as a defect metrology and reduce the cost of SiC wafers manufacturing. In this talk we will discuss the latest developments in XRDI which enable fully automated high throughput measurements at high resolution for integration into modern wafer production lines to enable direct feedback into the process development.
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Blue vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) are strongly desired for many applications, including adaptive laser headlamps, retinal scanning displays, visible light communication systems, and processing of metals such as copper and gold. For many applications, high output powers and low-divergence output beams are preferred because they allow high efficiency fiber coupling and high optical density to be realized with very simple optics. This presentation will focus on recent progress in high power and mode control technologies of blue VCSELs and VCSEL arrays.
Now in production across several application markets, high voltage GaN has piqued the interest of hybrid and electric vehicle manufacturers. The technology’s proven ability to increase power density within various topologies as well as its attractive cost model have positioned GaN to reportedly cannibalize the on-board charger market currently attributed to SiC. The key to realizing this projection is the technology’s reliablity. Learn about the importance of extended validation tests, GaN’s current FIT rates and temperature ratings, and how a deep focus on reliability enables volume production from Transphorm—manufacturer of the industry’s first AEC-Q101 GaN FET.
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A matured flip process to make 4” GaN/Diamond epitaxial wafer is driven by a need of commercialization for GaN/Diamond HEMTs. RFHIC announced that the power density of 23.2 W/mm at Vds = 100V is obtained at 2 GHz pulsed power measurement using on-wafer 4” GaN/Diamond HEMT manufactured at automation foundry FAB. The 0.35 um GaN/Diamond HEMT revealed Pout of 21.94 W/mm (at Vds = 100 V), 17.88 W/mm (at Vds = 100 V) in the frequency range of 3.6 GHz and 4.9 GHz, respectively. To make an improving yield and process consistency, RFHIC is developing permanent wafer bonding technology for GaN/Diamond HEMT processing not only for SiN passivation but also high temperature annealing without requiring a de-bonding step. A new type of flip process technology to make GaN/Diamond epitaxial wafer using GaN/SiC epitaxial wafer will be sure to generate a better quality of GaN/Diamond HEMT in the future.
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