【Expert Interview】Prof. Wang Gang of Sun Yat-sen University - Focus on Large-scale Gallium Oxide MOCVD Epitaxial Growth, Innovation Breakthrough Technical Barriers

Expert Profile

      Wang Gang is a second-class professor at Sun Yat-sen University and dean of the Foshan Research Institute at Sun Yat-sen University. Has served as the "Eleventh Five-Year" national 863 plan semiconductor lighting engineering major project overall expert group members, "Twelfth Five-Year" national science and technology key special expert group of semiconductor lighting experts, selected the Ministry of Education new century talents.

      Professor Wang Gang is mainly engaged in research and teaching in the preparation technology of compound semiconductor materials and related components. He has successfully developed oxide film mass production MOCVD equipment with independent intellectual property rights, and realized the ε-phase Gallium Oxide single crystal film with "step flow" growth mode for the first time. The application of this technology has broken through the long-standing technical barriers of international equipment giants.

AGOA ：Please introduce the research direction and achievements of your team

      Focusing on the research of oxide semiconductor films and MOCVD epitaxy growth equipment, Professor Wang Gang's team at Sun Yat-sen University has successfully developed the world's first mass-produced commercial MOCVD epitaxy equipment for large-size and high-quality Gallium Oxide single crystal films.

The main research results are as follows:

1. Through the design of MOCVD spray system and cavity structure and the study of epitaxial process parameters, the mixing and equalizing modes of organomemetal source and oxygen source were optimized, which suppressed eddy current effect in the cavity during growth and solved the problem of low growth efficiency caused by vapor phase pre-reaction;
2. Integrated advanced technologies such as computational fluid dynamics, quantum chemistry, big data and artificial intelligence, built a Gallium Oxide semiconductor thin film material growth decision-making system, realized the design and prediction of Gallium Oxide thin film epitaxy, greatly reduced the research and development cost and cycle, accelerated and promoted the development and design of new materials, and was an international engineering and technological innovation in semiconductor epitaxy materials;
3. Realized high quality and large size Gallium Oxide homogeneous and heterogeneous epitaxial materials, and took the lead in verifying and transforming devices in Gallium Oxide power devices and RF filter parts;
4. Focusing on Gallium Oxide MOCVD equipment and epitaxial material preparation technology, we have actively carried out domestic and international patent layout and formed a complete independent intellectual property rights.

FIG. 1 Team photo

Figure 2: MOCVD reaction chamber flow diagram and temperature cloud diagram of middle section

Before and after optimization

Figure 3: Comparison of deposition rate before and after process optimization

AGOA：The team studies the difficulties that have been broken recently

1、High-efficiency N-type doping and regulation of large-scale Gallium Oxide homoepitaxy based on MOCVD epitaxy growth;

2、Stress control of large scale heteroepitaxy based on MOCVD epitaxy growth;

3、The P-type heterogeneous integration technology of Gallium Oxide was first proposed；

4、The first to break through the silicon substrate large size (6 inches) low-cost heteroepitaxy growth technology.

AGOA：Optimistic about the development potential of Gallium Oxide

      Application of power electronic devices and RF filters with high voltage, high current, low loss and excellent anti-irradiation characteristics based on large size and homogenous Gallium Oxide materials in extreme environments.

AGOA：The direction of cultivating talents in the school?

      The high-level talents trained by Sun Yat-sen University, such as master and doctor, are mainly concentrated in the research direction of epitaxial growth and chip technology.

AGOA：How to view the role of university-enterprise cooperation and industry-university-research combination in the development of Gallium Oxide industrialization?

      The origin of Gallium Oxide in China is mainly universities, and school-enterprise cooperation and the combination of industry-university-research is one of the important ways to promote the industrialization of Gallium Oxide. School-enterprise cooperation can closely combine the scientific research advantages of universities and research institutions with the technical needs of enterprises, and promote the technological innovation and optimization of Gallium Oxide materials and devices. With advanced scientific research facilities and talents, universities and research institutions can conduct basic research and applied basic research, while enterprises pay more attention to the application and marketing of technology, and the cooperation between the two sides can accelerate the research and development and application of new technologies. This model can not only accelerate technological innovation and achievement transformation, but also train highly skilled talents required by the industry, and promote the healthy development of Gallium Oxide and related industries.

AGOA：Whether there are research and development projects that need financial support？

      Ferroelectric properties of ε-phase Gallium Oxide single crystal films

AGOA：Whether there are projects that need to translate the results need to find a partner？

      The MOCVD equipment project is in the process of results transformation, welcome investment.

AGOA：Suggestions for alliance work

1. Strengthen the construction of patent pool to prepare for future large-scale application

2. strengthen upstream and downstream collaborative research and development, especially from the chip epitaxial end to the substrate end to provide guidance support

3. Strengthen research and development cooperation with Silicon Carbide, Silicon-based Gallium Nitride and other wide band gap semiconductor material devices, and expand more application scenarios for commercialized wide band gap semiconductor devices.