X-Fab, Exagan make GaN-on-Si on 200mm wafers
The higher performance GaN process enables smaller and more efficient electrical converters while the ability to use CMOS production infrastructure to get to larger wafer sizes translates into a lower cost of production per unit area.
Exagan and X-FAB have successfully resolved many of the challenges related to material stress, defectivity and process integration while using standard fabrication equipment and process recipes. And the breakthrough is coming at a time when GaN power devices are gaining traction in the market with adoption in applications such as electrical vehicle charging stations, servers, automobiles and industrial systems.
The GaN-on-silicon wafers were made using Exagan’s epitaxial-layer manufacturing facility in Grenoble, France. These ‘epi’ wafers have then been processed by X-Fab to produce Exagan’s 650-volt G-FET devices. Exagan’s G-Stack technology incorporates strain-management layers that relieve the stress between the GaN surface and silicon layers.
“We have high confidence in Exagan’s leadership team and product performance roadmap,” said Rudi De Winter, CEO of X-Fab, in a statement. “Through this productive partnership, X-Fab is leveraging its resources and expertise to bring Exagan’s technology into manufacturing and provide the power conversion market with a reliable supply chain.”
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