Infineon Technologies claims to have successfully developed the industry’s first 300-mm power gallium nitride (GaN) wafer technology. This larger wafer size enables broader use of established, high-volume silicon wafer manufacturing infrastructure and equipment.
Thomas Reisinger, COO of Infineon Technologies Austria, holding a 300-mm gallium nitride (GaN) wafer. Image used courtesy of Infineon
The larger wafer technology can yield twice as many power ICs from each wafer, lowering individual die costs. These savings extend to customers and help drive the adoption of emerging power semiconductor technology. In recent years, GaN power electronics have quickly gained a share in a range of applications that demand high-density power conversion, such as EVs, solar inverters, chargers, and AI processor supplies.
Infineon will present its new high-volume, 300-mm GaN production capabilities at Electronica in Munich this November.
Leveraging Silicon Manufacturing Expertise
Infineon manufactured the 300-mm GaN wafers on a pilot line at the company’s existing 300-mm power fab in Villach, Austria, leveraging the company’s extensive capabilities for producing 300-mm silicon wafers.
Infineon site in Villach, Austria. Image used courtesy of Infineon
Silicon and GaN wafers have a similar manufacturing process. By migrating to 300 mm, Infineon can reuse much of its existing silicon manufacturing equipment, reducing the need for new capital investments and the associated costs. Infineon estimates that once in full production, the 300-mm wafer capabilities will put the cost of its GaN chips closer to on par with its silicon counterparts for the same level of efficiency.
The Economics of Semiconductor Manufacturing
The cost of manufacturing a semiconductor device is not as complex as the physics behind it.
The first consideration is the cost of developing a production wafer with fully formed semiconductor devices or integrated circuits (ICs). Next, manufacturers must determine the number of individual devices that can be produced from each wafer. This number is dictated by the size of the wafer and the size of the individual semiconductor components (like GaN transistors). Finally, fabs must consider the net yield of “good” die from the wafer that meets production standards and can be sold to customers. Every wafer will have some percentage of ICs that have defects and must be scrapped.
Semiconductor wafers and devices. Image used courtesy of Infineon
Generally, migrating to a larger wafer size can help reduce costs. For example, if a larger wafer costs 50% more to manufacture, but can produce double the individual die with better device yields, then the per-unit cost of each device is lower.
Investment in Wide-Bandgap Technologies
Infineon continues to invest extensively in wide bandgap semiconductor technologies. The announcement of the 300-mm GaN wafer technology development comes one year after the company acquired GaN Systems, another strategic move to better position Infineon within the rapidly growing GaN market
Infineon is also very active in the market for high-voltage silicon carbide solutions (SiC) with its robust portfolio of Cool SiC MOSFETs, diodes, and integrated power modules.
