【Domestic News】Milestone Breakthrough! China Achieves Ampere-Level Current Conduction in Gallium Oxide Power Devices

      Recently, Shanghai GaChi Power Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “GaChi Power”), located in Shanghai’s Fourth-Generation Semiconductor Cluster, achieved a major breakthrough in the field of ultra-wide-bandgap semiconductors by completing the first-stage iterative tape-out and validation of a vertical gallium oxide (β-Ga₂O₃) MOSFET chip. Through innovative device structures and the independent development of core fabrication processes, the team successfully developed the world’s first enhancement-mode vertical gallium oxide MOSFET device with an on-state current exceeding 1 A and a breakdown voltage greater than 900 V. Multiple key performance metrics have surpassed previously reported international records, marking progress toward overcoming a critical bottleneck in the commercialization of gallium oxide power devices. This achievement represents a significant technological advance for China in the field of fourth-generation semiconductor devices.

      As a key material for next-generation ultra-wide-bandgap semiconductors, gallium oxide offers an exceptionally high breakdown electric field, low conduction losses, and high-temperature tolerance. It is a promising material for high-voltage, high-efficiency power devices, with broad potential applications in advanced new-energy equipment, industrial power systems, smart grids, and energy storage systems. It has also become a strategic focus of global competition in the power semiconductor industry.

      According to the technical team, the long-standing challenge of achieving stable and controllable p-type doping has remained a world-class technological bottleneck in the development of high-power and commercially viable gallium oxide MOSFETs. Constrained by this limitation, vertical gallium oxide MOSFETs worldwide have generally suffered from limited current-handling capability, insufficient breakdown voltage, and relatively high leakage current. Prior to this achievement, no device with an on-state current exceeding the ampere level had been reported in publicly available literature or industry reports, significantly slowing the industrialization of gallium oxide technology.

      To address this industry-wide challenge, the GaChi Power technical team moved beyond conventional R&D approaches and pursued a systematic technological development strategy, achieving two original breakthroughs in core technologies. At the device architecture level, the team independently developed a novel gallium oxide MOSFET unit-cell structure and a dedicated termination structure, enabling precise control over the internal device architecture and electric-field distribution to improve device stability and breakdown voltage. At the process level, the team overcame key challenges in the self-aligned ion implantation process for gallium oxide MOSFET channels, addressing difficulties in precise channel formation and uniform doping control in vertical devices. These advances established a dedicated process platform tailored to high-power gallium oxide devices, enabling the successful completion of the first full fabrication run and electrical characterization.

      According to reports, the measured results from this fabrication run reached leading international levels for the same period, highlighting the technology’s potential for industrialization.

      First, the team independently developed a self-aligned ion implantation process for the channels of vertical gallium oxide MOSFETs, filling a gap in process technology for high-power devices and laying the process foundation for the scalable fabrication of ampere-level and higher-specification gallium oxide MOSFETs.

      Second, the device achieved a measured threshold voltage of 3.9 V and operated stably in enhancement mode, with parameters meeting the requirements for commercial power devices.

      Third, the device delivered an on-state current of 1.2 A and a specific on-resistance of 33 mΩ·cm². A review of global academic literature and publicly available industry results indicates that this is the world’s first vertical gallium oxide MOSFET with an on-state current exceeding 1 A, establishing a new performance benchmark.

      Fourth, the device was designed for a 750 V voltage platform and achieved a measured breakdown voltage exceeding 900 V, with leakage current maintained below 3 μA. Its leakage performance approaches the levels of mature commercial silicon and silicon carbide power devices, addressing a major challenge associated with high leakage in gallium oxide devices and demonstrating strong potential for commercial applications.

      “This milestone fabrication result has fully validated the feasibility of our original device architecture and independently developed ion implantation process. It represents a critical step in moving gallium oxide power devices from laboratory proof-of-concept to practical commercial engineering,” the technical team told Science and Technology Daily.

      Looking ahead, GaChi Power will continue to advance its work in the ultra-wide-bandgap semiconductor field, iteratively optimizing device structures, process parameters, and the matching of epitaxial materials. The company aims to continuously improve device reliability, consistency, and overall performance while accelerating chip development, sample delivery and validation, and the finalization of industrial-scale manufacturing processes. These efforts are expected to support China’s advancement in the fourth-generation semiconductor industry and provide technological support for strategic emerging sectors, including advanced equipment, new energy, and next-generation power systems.