AIXTRON SE, a worldwide provider of deposition equipment to the semiconductor industry, announced today that it has delivered a CRIUS MOCVD system with 4-inch wafer configuration to Japanese group Sumitomo Electric Device Innovations, Inc. (SEDI) in order to boost the production of GaN-on-SiC (gallium nitride on silicon carbide) devices for RF data transfer applications including for the upcoming 5G wireless mobile network. The system has been put into operation in the fourth quarter 2016. 

(Image:AIXTRON)

SEDI has longstanding experience with AIXTRON’s Close Coupled Showerhead technology which enables easy scalability. Furthermore, AIXTRON’s system has an unmatched reputation for 4-inch wafer uniformity and precise process control, which is especially important for device production on cost-intensive silicon carbide wafers. The new reactor is equipped with optional features such as dynamic gap adjustment, ARGUS in-situ temperature control and the EpiCurve TT metrology system. The ARGUS monitoring device provides full wafer mapping in real time for optimum control of the growth process. Extended flexibility is enabled by allowing the adjustment of the process gap between the showerhead and the substrate. 

Sumitomo Electric Device Innovations, Inc. has an established industry reputation for providing some of the best RF components available. The company already has a range of GaN HEMT (High Electron Mobility Transistor) devices on offer for radar, mobile phone base-stations, and general applications. These GaN-on-SiC HEMT devices enable high power amplification at operating frequencies of up to 14 GHz RF.