Recently, hyperpure silicon wafers  manufacturer Siltronic AG has signed an agreement with the Belgian nano-electronics research institute imec on the development of silicon wafers with a gallium nitride layer as partner of imec’s GaN-on-Si industrial affiliation program (IIAP).

According to the agreement, the two companies target to enable production of solid-state lighting such as LEDs and power semiconductors of the next generation on 200 mm silicon wafers.

Siltronic can draw on decades of experience in epitaxial deposition of materials on silicon substrates. Imec is a pioneer in the area of GaN deposition on silicon substrates with diameters of 2-6 inches.

With their partnership,economies of scale in the production of 200 mm wafers could significantly reduce the manufacturing costs for GaN-based LEDs and power semiconductors.

Furthermore,Siltronic will use the facilities and technical resources of imec in Leuven, Belgium. This coordinated on-site approach enables inter-company collaboration between all involved partners,in the meantime providing very early access to process and equipment technology for the next generation of LEDs and power semiconductors.