200-mm GaN-on-Si wafers using std CMOS equipment achieved by X-FAB and Exagan

X-FAB Silicon Foundries and Exagan claimed to have demonstrated mass-production capability to produce high-voltage power devices on 200-mm GaN-on-silicon wafers using X-FAB’s standard CMOS production facility in Dresden, Germany. 200-mm GaN-on-silicon wafers using standard CMOS production facility enables cost/performance advantages that could not be achieved with smaller wafers.

The new GaN-on-silicon devices built using substrates fabricated at Exagan’s 200- mm epi-manufacturing facility in Grenoble, France. These epi wafers meet the physical and electrical specifications to produce Exagan’s 650-volt G-FET devices and the tight requirements for compatibility with CMOS manufacturing lines.

The challenges of layering GaN films on silicon substrates by using Exagan’s G-Stack technology by depositing a unique stack of GaN and strain-management layers that relieves the stress between GaN and silicon layers. The resulting devices have been shown to exhibit high breakdown voltage, low vertical leakage and high-temperature operation.

“This is a major milestone in our company’s development as we accelerate product development and qualification,” said Frédéric Dupont, president and CEO of Exagan. “It demonstrates the combined strengths of our epi material, X-FAB’s wafer fab process and our device design capabilities. It also confirms the success of our vertically integrated fab-lite model, with expertise from materials to devices and applications. It’s perfect timing to establish GaN technology and products on the most competitive 200-mm platform just as GaN power products are getting broad traction in IT server, consumer electronics and automotive markets.”

“We have high confidence in Exagan’s leadership team and product performance roadmap,” said Rudi De Winter, CEO of X-FAB. “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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