【Member News】Global First Breakthrough in 8-Inch Gallium Oxide Single Crystal Growth via the VB Method

      On December 27, with support from the Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Commission’s Fourth-Generation Semiconductor Strategic Frontier Program, the Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (hereinafter referred to as “SIOM”), in collaboration with Hangzhou Fujia Gallium Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Fujia Gallium”), successfully fabricated an 8-inch Gallium Oxide single crystal for the first time worldwide using the Vertical Bridgman (VB) method.

      Gallium oxide is a representative material of fourth-generation semiconductors. Owing to its ultra-wide bandgap and high breakdown electric field, it holds significant application potential in ultra-high-voltage power devices.

      The Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Commission has taken a forward-looking approach in cultivating future industries related to fourth-generation semiconductors, focusing on key materials such as Gallium Oxide. Leveraging the coordinated strengths of the innovation and industrial chains in the Yangtze River Delta region, and adhering to product-oriented and industry-driven principles, the Commission has supported SIOM, together with Fujia Gallium and other partners, in carrying out full-chain collaborative R&D spanning substrates, epitaxy, devices, and modules, thereby accelerating the industrialization of fourth-generation semiconductors.

      As one of the earliest domestic institutions engaged in gallium oxide crystal research, SIOM, in collaboration with Fujia Gallium, has made sustained efforts in advancing three core technologies related to the VB method: key equipment manufacturing, high-precision numerical simulation, and deterministic thermal field design. In July 2024, they achieved the first domestic fabrication of 3-inch gallium oxide crystals; in December 2024, they successfully produced 4-inch crystals; in September 2025, they realized the first domestic fabrication of 6-inch crystals; and in December 2025, they set a new world record for the largest Gallium Oxide crystal produced by the VB method.

      Compared with other crystal growth techniques, the VB method offers several notable advantages in gallium oxide crystal fabrication, making it an ideal pathway for large-scale industrialization. The process does not require iridium crucibles, significantly reducing growth costs; it features a uniform temperature field and low thermal gradients, which are conducive to the growth of large-size, high-quality crystals; it enables the growth of cylindrical crystals, improving material preparation efficiency; and it provides stable growth conditions, making it well suited for automated and large-scale production.

      Looking ahead, SIOM and Fujia Gallium will work together with downstream users to accelerate application verification of materials at the device level, continuously iterate and optimize gallium oxide materials and device performance, and make all-out efforts to advance the industrial application of Gallium Oxide.