【Industry News】New Trends in Gallium Oxide Production, Education, and Research at Home and Abroad You Don't Know

Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology Achieves Excellence in the 19th Jiangsu Provincial College Students' Physics and Experimental Science and Technology Works Innovation Competition

  On November 19th, the 19th Jiangsu College Students' Physics and Experimental Science and Technology Works Innovation Competition was held by Jiangsu Physical Society and the Organizing Committee of Jiangsu College Students' Physics and Experimental Science and Technology Works Innovation Competition, which was organized by Jiangsu University of Science and Technology. With the joint efforts of the institute of Physics and Electricity, the School of Teacher Education, Engineering Training Center and other departments, after careful planning and preparation, a total of nine works of Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology advanced to the final of Jiangsu Province, among of which, gallium oxide won the third prize in the paper group.

CETC Organized to Carry Out the Summary and Acceptance of the "Leading the List" Project in 2022

  Recently, China Electronics Technology organized experts to conduct a summary and acceptance of the four "Leading the List" projects, namely silicon carbide, silicon, gallium oxide, and aluminum nitride.

  The meeting pointed out that the first batch of four selected projects fully reflected the incentive effect of "Leading the List". 24 new technologies and 21 new patents formed in the meeting. Among them, the output of 6-inch N-type silicon carbide substrate products increased by more than 20 times; the construction of 6-inch silicon polishing wafer production line accelerated, and the engineering support capacity increased by 20 times; 2-inch gallium oxide polishing wafer and epitaxial wafer and 2-inch aluminum nitride technology refreshed the domestic leading level.

  The meeting stressed the need to further summarize, consolidate the existing achievements, and establish a long-term mechanism of "Leading the List". First, based on scientific and technological innovation, continuously improve the proportion of new technologies, new processes and new patents in the project; Second, adhering to the benefit orientation, the project should stick to the completion of economic indicators, to ensure that the real realization of revenue and profit; Third, establish a tracking and feedback mechanism to strengthen the follow-up and supervision of the rectification and implementation of project problems; Fourth, optimize the reward and punishment mechanism, so that the "Leading ones" can overcome difficulties without distractions, delivering the core spirit of "hard work"; Fifth, strengthen the exchange of experience, improve the mechanism of "Leading the List", in order to promote the actual development of CETC, and better inspire the vitality of innovation.

Zhejiang Province has Issued Guidelines for the Construction of an Integrated Circuit Industry Chain Standard System

  In the next three years, the development standards will focus on the revision and formulation of standards related to materials, silicon wafer manufacturing equipment, production control and wafer testing. Formulating industry standards and leading the formulation of national standards are the main focuses.

Including:

1. In view of the lack of semiconductor wafer standards, such as gallium oxide, one of the emerging compounds, relying on the Key Laboratory of Wide Band Gap Power Semiconductor Materials and Devices of Zhejiang Province, formulate the industry standard in the field of gallium oxide wafer, and strive to lead the formulation of national standards;

2. Give full play to the leading position in the field of silicon wafer manufacturing and related equipment in Zhejiang Province, formulate or revise the current standards of silicon wafer manufacturing equipment, and strive to lead the formulation or revision of national standards;

3. Relying on Zhejiang CMOS Integrated Circuit Complete Process and Design Technology Innovation Center, formulate related standards of the production and control of special process chip manufacturing, form industry standards and strive to lead the formulation of national standards;

4. In the image sensors and other sensor chips, AI chips and automotive electronics chips and other fields of group standards, and strive to lead the development of industry standards.

In Shinshu Japan, power semiconductor technology gathered together. The units of production,research and administration carried out joint research, using gallium oxide crystallization production technology.

  Enterprises, researchers, county industry promotion organizations (Nagano-Ken) and other institutions began to collaborate on the production of the next generation of "power semiconductors". As an important part of the decarbonization society in the power conversion, the power semiconductor has been in increasing demand. Nw high-performance materials in Shinshu are used to respond to the rapidly growing market by bringing together its technologies. A company is intended to set up in 2024-2025 to produce and sell wafers for the material, which will seek to manufacture and sell semiconductors.

Single crystals of gallium oxide. Cut it into thin wafer for substrate material for semiconductor (1cm unit)

  The study was conducted at an institution known as the Shinshu Gallium Oxide Device Research Association, in which several local enterprises and Japan National Research Institute of Industrial Technology (Ibaraki) and other institutions participated. A research team led by Hoshikawa Keigo (crystal engineering), an honorary professor at Shinshu University, will use a technology developed in 2019 to produce gallium oxide single crystals as a semiconductor material at a low cost.

  Although the mainstream power semiconductors are made of silicon, if an energy  material with a better efficiency could be used, the maximum run-range of electric energy vehicles(EVs) would be lengthened. Therefore, silicon carbide and gallium nitride are being put into practical use as alternatives to silicon, while gallium oxide has the characteristics that can withstand higher voltage and significantly reduce power loss.

  As a member of the institute, Shinko Electric Industries said it would not sell its own materials or manufacture semiconductors alone.And the company's executive committee, development minister, Araki Yasushi said,  “This is a promising market. We are participating in research and development to preparation for the emergence of new materials as part of our contribution to the local community.”  Wakabayashi Shin, an honorary researcher with the local Industrial Revitalization Agency, said, " Having the technology to make gallium oxide crystals will be our advantage, and if the industry and administration cooperate in this area, the ideal development can be realized.”The institute is developing a technology for cutting and grinding gallium oxide crystals into wafers.