5G and automotive electronics make efforts to expand the third-generation semiconductor material mar

Toward Industry Research Institute pointed out that compared with the current mainstream silicon wafers (Si), the third-generation semiconductor materials SiC and GaN not only have the characteristics of high voltage resistance, but also have the advantages of high temperature resistance and high frequency operation. Not only can the chip area be greatly reduced, but also the design of the peripheral circuit can be simplified, so as to reduce the volume of the module, the peripheral components of the system and the cooling system. In addition to the design of lightweight vehicles, the low on-resistance and low switching loss of the third-generation semiconductors can also greatly reduce the energy conversion loss during vehicle operation. Both are quite helpful to the improvement of the endurance of electric vehicles. Therefore, the technology and market development of SiC and GaN power components are inseparable from the development of electric vehicles.


However, SiC materials are still in the verification and introduction stage. At this stage, the automotive field is only used in racing cars. Therefore, the current automotive power components in the world use SiC solutions for less than one thousandth of the area. On the other hand, GaN power components currently on the market are manufactured on GaN-on-SiC and GaN-on-Si wafers. Among them, GaN-on-SiC has advantages in heat dissipation performance and is quite suitable for applications in high temperature, High-frequency operating environment, so the application visibility of 5G base stations is relatively high. It is expected that SiC substrates will enter a high-speed growth period in the next five years, driven by vehicle factory verification and 5G commercial use in 2020.


Although the cost of GaN substrates remains high in the process of large-scale area, the output value of GaN substrates is still lower than that of SiC substrates. However, the advantage of GaN's ability to operate at high frequencies is still the focus of major technology factories. In addition to the use of GaN-on-SiC technology for high-spec products, GaN-on-Si has become the mainstream of GaN power components in the current market through its cost advantages. The application is growing.


Tuo Dai Industry Research Institute pointed out that observing the development of the supply chain, as 5G and automotive technology are at the center of the industry's growth trend, the supply chain has developed a foundry model to provide customers with SiC and GaN foundry business services, changing the past It is only supplied by major integrated component manufacturers such as Cree, Infineon, and Qorvo. In the GaN part, TSMC and the world's advanced provide GaN-on-Si foundry business, while Wen Mao specializes in the GaN-on-SiC field and aims at the business opportunities of 5G base stations. In addition, X-Fab, Hanlei and Huanyu also provide foundry services for SiC and GaN. With the driving of foundry business, the market scale of third-generation semiconductor materials will also be further expanded.


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