Oct 5 2005
Intrinsic Semiconductor, a privately held manufacturer of wide bandgap materials, has developed silicon carbide (SiC) substrates completely free of micropipe defects. In addition, the Company announced that it has begun production of initial lots of 100-mm (4-in.) SiC substrates. Both products were displayed for the first time at the International Conference on Silicon Carbide and Related Materials last week of September 2005 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Silicon Carbide has inherently superior characteristics to silicon and other semiconductor materials in high-power, high-frequency, and high-temperature applications. However, micropipe defects -- voids that permeate SiC material as it is grown -- have been a leading contributor to SiC's low yields and associated high costs. Intrinsic's micropipe-free material, which was achieved using the Company's commercial production equipment, represents a major industry milestone towards SiC's commercialization.
"More than just a yield improvement, micropipe-free substrates introduce a new category of product, opening up new device possibilities," notes Cengiz Balkas, Intrinsic president and CEO. "Large-area devices that switch 100 amps or more, for example, cannot be manufactured cost-effectively even with defect densities as low as 1 micropipe per square centimeter. Zero MicroPipe™ (ZMP™) material will thus be critical to commercial availability of next-generation high-power devices for electric utility controls, hybrid electric vehicles (HEV), and other 'power chip' markets," he adds. The transition to 100-mm production from current 50-mm (2-in.) and 75-mm (3-in.) substrates is an equally important aspect of commercialization of SiC devices. As was the case with silicon several decades ago, the shift to larger substrates (wafers) is an essential ingredient of cost reduction and yield improvement; with Intrinsic's 100-mm wafers, customers can expect a nominal doubling in yield, or "good-die-per-wafer," compared with 75-mm substrates. "The conversion of our manufacturing to 100-mm substrates, which will be available in volume in the first half of 2006, will provide a major stimulus to commercial SiC device production aimed at satisfying demand in the rapidly expanding power and RF market," Balkas notes.
All of Intrinsic's current products -- SiC wafers of both insulating and conducting types, SiC and gallium nitride (GaN) epitaxial products in 75-mm diameter -- will be made available in 100-mm. In addition, the Company is currently developing ZMP production for 100-mm product.
http://www.intrinsicsemi.com