Sumitomo Chemical to Accelerate Development of Large-Diameter GaN-on-GaN Wafers for Power Electronics

Nov. 20, 2024

Sumitomo Chemical’s Project Aimed at Speeding Up Development of 6-inch GaN-on-GaN Wafer Mass Production Technology Selected as NEDO Program Theme

Sumitomo Chemical’s project to develop large-diameter GaN-on-GaN wafers^*1 for power electronics has been selected by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) in the institution’s Program to Develop and Promote the Commercialization of Energy Conservation Technologies to Realize a Decarbonized Society for FY 2024^*2. Leveraging the support from this program, Sumitomo Chemical will accelerate the development of mass production technology for six-inch GaN-on-GaN wafers for power devices, and strive to contribute to achieving a more energy-efficient society.

The program implemented by NEDO aims to promote the development of innovative technologies to realize significant energy savings toward achieving a carbon-neutral society by 2050. GaN-on-GaN wafers are considered to be superior to other semiconductor materials in terms of energy efficiency, high breakdown voltage, and high current operation, and are expected to be used in the field of semiconductors for power electronics, including such applications as electrical infrastructure, data center servers, and electric vehicles.

In order to expand the use of GaN-on-GaN wafers for power electronics applications, it is imperative to increase the diameter of the wafers to a size compatible with device manufacturers’ processes. In this program, Sumitomo Chemical will work to improve technologies for both the GaN substrate and the GaN growth layer as outlined below, with the aim of developing a technology for mass-producing high-quality six-inch GaN-on-GaN wafers at low cost.

Sumitomo Chemical positions the ICT & Mobility Solutions business as one of its growth drivers. The Company will continue to be committed to developing GaN-on-GaN wafers and other products and technologies that contribute to the development of an information and communications society.

*1 A wafer with a structure in which an additional GaN (gallium nitride) layer is epitaxially grown on a GaN substrate. Unlike wafers made by the conventional method of growing a GaN layer on a substrate made of different materials, such as silicon (Si) or sapphire, this wafer is made by using the same material, GaN, for both the substrate and the growth layer, and therefore is expected to bring significant improvements in electrical and thermal characteristics and quality.
*2 This program started in FY 2021, with a total of 22 projects being adopted for FY 2024. Sumitomo Chemical’s project is to receive support from this program for three years for the developing verification phase.
*3 Hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE) is a method employed to produce GaN crystals. It is cost-competitive when compared to the conventional metal organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) method. It is also superior in productivity. According to research conducted by Sumitomo Chemical, its epitaxial growth rate is more than 10 times that of the MOVPE method because the feed rate of the raw material gas can be easily increased.

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