Tag Archives: letter-materials-business

Air Products (NYSE: APD) today announced it has been awarded the industrial gases supply for Samsung Electronics’ second semiconductor fab in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, western China.

The Xi’an fabrication line, within the Xi’an High-tech Zone (XHTZ), represents one of Samsung’s largest overseas investments and one of the most advanced fabs in China. It produces three-dimensional (3D) vertical NAND (V-NAND) flash memory chips for a wide range of applications, including embedded NAND storage, solid state drives, mobile devices, and other consumer electronics products.

Air Products has been supporting this project since 2014 from a large site housing two large air separation units (ASUs), a hydrogen plant and a bulk specialty gas delivery system. Under the new award, Air Products will expand its site by building several large ASUs, hydrogen and compressed dry air plants, and a bulk specialty gas supply yard to supply ultra-high purity nitrogen, oxygen, argon, hydrogen and compressed dry air to the new fab, which is scheduled to be operational in 2019.

“Samsung is a strategic and longstanding customer for Air Products. It is our honor to have their continued confidence and again be selected to support their business growth and this important project in western China,” said Kyo-Yung Kim, president of Air Products Korea, who also oversees the company’s electronics investment in the XHTZ. “We have been supplying the project with proven safety, reliability and operational excellence. This latest investment further reinforces our global leading position and commitment to serving our valued customer, as well as the broader semiconductor and electronics industries.”

Continuing to build its strong relationship with Samsung Electronics, Air Products also recently announced the next phases of expansion to build two more nitrogen plants serving the customer’s giga fab in Pyeongtaek City, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea.

A leading integrated gases supplier, Air Products has been serving the global electronics industry for more than 40 years, supplying industrial gases safely and reliably to most of the world’s largest technology companies. Air Products is working with these industry leaders to develop the next generation of semiconductors and displays for tablets, computers and mobile devices.

Entegris, Inc. (NASDAQ: ENTG), a developer of specialty chemicals and advanced materials solutions for the microelectronics industry, announced today that it acquired Particle Sizing Systems, LLC (PSS), a company focused on particle sizing instrumentation for liquid applications in both semiconductor and life science industries.

This acquisition reflects Entegris’ value creation strategy by leveraging its global technology platform and customer relationships. The total purchase price of the acquisition was approximately $37 million in cash, subject to customary working capital adjustments. Entegris expects this transaction to be accretive to 2018 earnings.

Digital transformation continues to create a high demand for sophisticated cloud computing infrastructures that require the most advanced logic and memory chips available. However, advanced-node manufacturers already challenged by a continuously shrinking process window and high fab costs struggle to maintain yield  and  eliminate losses  associated with CMP performance.

In advanced-node CMP applications, scratch defects are often caused by the agglomeration of slurry abrasive particles that have the potential to become a key factor in process yield performance. With the technology from PSS, Entegris is enabling customers to perform particle size analysis online and in real time, directly in the fluid stream process.  Automating the monitoring process can lead to the application of more effective solutions like proper filter selection and system maintenance. This ability to intervene with these solutions prevents costly yield excursions.

“To stay competitive, our advanced-node customers need tools that allow them to shorten process times while maintaining accuracy and consistency in order to meet the high-quality standards of the manufacturers they partner with,” says Todd Edlund, Chief Operating Officer, Entegris. “PSS technology is unique in that it measures every particle in the slurry, making it more accurate than commonly used methods that employ averaging techniques. As a result, this technology eliminates the need for manual sampling and intervention, which is less efficient and runs a higher risk of slurry excursions.”

By Natalie Shim, SEMI Korea

As dynamic back-end related technologies such as TSV (Through-Silicon Vias), InFO (Integrated Fan Out), etc., enable electronic devices to downsize with higher performance, the importance of back-end processing is greater than ever. Due to this, more and more customers are requesting “quality control” by tracing raw materials to assembly and packaging companies and the need for a standard is clear.

The Korea Advanced Back-end Factory Integration Task Force, in response to the industry’s demand, has decided to revise SEMI E142-0211 (Reapproved 1016), Specification for Substrate Mapping by adding an assembly and packaging raw materials traceability method.

Standards Chart

The first ballot is open for voting in Cycle 9-2017 (Nov 29 to Dec 29, 2017), and the TF will review the feedback at the next Information and Control Korea Technical Committee Chapter meeting scheduled for February 1, 2018, in conjunction with SEMICON Korea in Seoul, Korea.

Get Involved

SEMI Standards development activities take place throughout the year in all major manufacturing regions. To get involved, join the SEMI International Standards Program at: www.semi.org/standardsmembership.

For more information regarding Korea Advanced Back-end Factory Integration Task Force activities, please contact Natalie Shim at [email protected].

BY ANDREW CHAMBERS, Senior Product Manager, Edwards Ltd.

With the prospects of large 450mm wafers going nowhere, IC manufacturers are increasing efforts to maximize fabrication plants using 300mm and 200mm diameter silicon substrates. The number of 300mm wafer production-class fabs in operation worldwide is expected to increase each year between now and 2021 to reach 123 compared to 98 in 2016, according to the forecast in IC Insights’ Global Wafer Capacity 2017-2021 report.

Significant opportunities to improve safety, reliability and yield still remain in our industry, many of them to be found in the sub-fab, where the critical systems that supply vacuum and treat exhaust gases are to be found—out of sight and, too often, out of mind. Properly handling and removing noxious components in the exhaust flow clearly impacts the safety of fab personnel and the quality of the local environment. As for reliability, when the sub-fab fails the process is down. And yield—the yield of many tools depends directly on steady, high-quality vacuum. “Smart” management of sub-fab systems can improve safety, reliability, yield, and energy efficiency, all of which contribute directly to the bottom line.

For example, consider high-flow CVD processes, which are finding increasing application in high-volume production of 3D-NAND, DRAM and other devices. The process precursors and their decomposition products can present a flammability risk and, unless properly controlled, can condense as hazardous materials in process exhausts. Such condensation can cause a variety of operational problems, including process shut-downs when pipes become blocked, exhaust pipe fires when fluorine reacts with residual silicon compounds, and HF vapour releases when pipes are exposed to atmosphere during cleaning.

Several approaches may be used to address these concerns, alone or in combination. The entire exhaust assembly may be heated to maintain a thermal profile that eliminates conden- sation, though eliminating all cold spots can pose practical difficulties and constant monitoring is required. Exhaust gases may be diluted to mitigate flammability risks, but the cost of the additional diluting gas (N2) becomes prohibitive at high flows. The total cost of ownership for high dilution flows must
also include increased capital investment, operating cost and sub-fab space require- ments for additional abatement capacity.

A smart dilution strategy would continuously adjust the flow of dilution gas based on information from the process tool. Is flammable gas flowing? Is oxidant gas present? If the process gas is non-flammable, can dilution be eliminated entirely? When only a flammable gas is flowing, how much can dilution be relaxed while still maintaining the mixture below the lower flammability limit; or can it be allowed to exceed the LFL, since there is no concurrently flowing oxidant? When flammable gases flow concurrently with oxidizing gases, what dilution is required to keep the concentration of flammable gas below its LFL, with a sufficient safety margin to allow for fault scenarios? What is the best dilution for cleaning gases to optimize the safety and efficiency in their abatement? Answers to these questions and more can be found by analyzing information from the process tool and can be used in a smart dilution strategy to ensure safety, and maximize reliability and yield while minimizing cost.

Information from the process tool can also be used to control the operation of the abatement system. When only flammable gas is flowing with low or moderate dilution, the abatement system can be operated in a “low fire” mode, minimizing consumption of fuel, city water and process cooling water. When flammable and oxidizing gases flow concurrently and high dilution flow is used, the abatement can be switched into a “high fire” mode to ensure full destruction of the process chemicals.

Coupled with smart operation, smart system design can further improve safety, reliability and cost. Consider the problem of gas leaks. Leaks from process exhaust pipes can lead to fires, equipment damage and harm to sub-fab personnel. Local gas leak detectors can protect personnel but risk process shut-down and product loss. Rigorous leak checking proce- dures can reduce the risk of leaks following maintenance, but cannot prevent progressive seal degradation or leaks that occur during normal operation. A smart design integrates pumps, abatement and all connecting piping in a single unit, engineered for performance and safety and thoroughly tested at all stages of manufacturing and installation. Integration also permits exhaust integrity checking, double-containment, accurate and consistent exhaust temperature control, and tool-connected “smart” operation and provides single-vendor responsibility for maintenance and performance.

Opportunities for improvements abound, but taking advantage of them requires a smart approach based on broad experience and thorough understanding of semiconductor manufacturing processes.

The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) today announced worldwide sales of semiconductors reached $37.1 billion for the month of October 2017, an increase of 21.9 percent from the October 2016 total of $30.4 billion and 3.2 percent more than last month’s total of $36.0 billion. October marked the global industry’s largest-ever monthly sales total. All monthly sales numbers are compiled by the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) organization and represent a three-month moving average. Additionally, the latest WSTS industry forecast was revised upward and now projects annual global market growth of 20.6 percent in 2017 and 7.0 percent in 2018.

“The global semiconductor market continued to grow impressively in October, with sales surpassing the industry’s highest-ever monthly total and moving closer to topping $400 billion for 2017,” said John Neuffer, president and CEO, Semiconductor Industry Association. “Market growth continues to be driven in part by high demand for memory products, but combined sales of all other semiconductor products were up substantially as well, showing the breadth of the market’s strength this year.”

Regionally, year-to-year sales increased in the Americas (40.9 percent), Europe (19.5 percent), China (19.1 percent), Asia Pacific/All Other (16.3 percent), and Japan (10.7 percent). Compared with last month, sales were up more modestly across all regions: the Americas (6.8 percent), China (2.6 percent), Europe (2.6 percent), Japan (1.8 percent), and Asia Pacific/All Other (1.5 percent).

Additionally, SIA today endorsed the WSTS Autumn 2017 global semiconductor sales forecast, which projects the industry’s worldwide sales will be $408.7 billion in 2017. This would mark the industry’s highest-ever annual sales, its first time topping $400 billion, and a 20.6 percent increase from the 2016 sales total. WSTS projects double-digit year-to-year increases across all regional markets for 2017: the Americas (31.9 percent), Asia Pacific (18.9 percent), Europe (16.3 percent), and Japan (12.6 percent). Beyond 2017, growth in the semiconductor market is expected to moderate across all regions. WSTS tabulates its semi-annual industry forecast by convening an extensive group of global semiconductor companies that provide accurate and timely indicators of semiconductor trends.

To find out how to purchase the WSTS Subscription Package, which includes comprehensive monthly semiconductor sales data and detailed WSTS Forecasts, please visit http://www.semiconductors.org/industry_statistics/wsts_subscription_package/. For detailed data on the global and U.S. semiconductor industry and market, consider purchasing the 2017 SIA Databook: https://www.semiconductors.org/forms/sia_databook/.

Oct 2017

Billions

Month-to-Month Sales                              

Market

Last Month

Current Month

% Change

Americas

7.99

8.54

6.8%

Europe

3.28

3.37

2.6%

Japan

3.14

3.20

1.8%

China

11.36

11.65

2.6%

Asia Pacific/All Other

10.18

10.33

1.5%

Total

35.95

37.09

3.2%

Year-to-Year Sales                         

Market

Last Year

Current Month

% Change

Americas

6.06

8.54

40.9%

Europe

2.82

3.37

19.5%

Japan

2.89

3.20

10.7%

China

9.78

11.65

19.1%

Asia Pacific/All Other

8.88

10.33

16.3%

Total

30.43

37.09

21.9%

Three-Month-Moving Average Sales

Market

May/Jun/Jul

Aug/Sep/Oct

% Change

Americas

6.94

8.54

23.0%

Europe

3.20

3.37

5.1%

Japan

3.04

3.20

5.2%

China

10.68

11.65

9.1%

Asia Pacific/All Other

9.77

10.33

5.8%

Total

33.63

37.09

10.3%

SEMI, the global industry association representing the electronics manufacturing supply chain, today reported that worldwide semiconductor manufacturing equipment billings reached US$14.3 billion for the third quarter of 2017.

Quarterly billings of US$14.3 billion set an all-time record for quarterly billings, exceeding the record level set in the second quarter of this year. Billings for the most recent quarter are 2 percent higher than the second quarter of 2017 and 30 percent higher than the same quarter a year ago. Sequential regional growth was mixed for the most recent quarter with the strongest growth in Europe. Korea maintained the largest market for semiconductor equipment for the year, followed by Taiwan and China. The data are gathered jointly with the Semiconductor Equipment Association of Japan (SEAJ) from over 95 global equipment companies that provide data on a monthly basis.

Quarterly Billings Data by Region in Billions of U.S. Dollars
Quarter-Over-Quarter Growth and Year-Over-Year Rates by Region
3Q2017
2Q2017
3Q2016
3Q2017/2Q2017
3Q2017/3Q2016
Korea
4.99
4.79
2.09
4%
139%
Taiwan
2.37
2.76
3.46
-14%
-32%
China
1.93
2.51
1.43
-23%
35%
Japan
1.73
1.55
1.29
11%
34%
North America
1.50
1.23
1.05
22%
43%
Europe
1.06
0.66
0.53
61%
100%
Rest of World
0.74
0.62
1.13
20%
-34%
Total
14.33
14.11
10.98
2%
30%

Source: SEMI (www.semi.org) and SEAJ (http://www.seaj.or.jp)

The Equipment Market Data Subscription (EMDS) from SEMI provides comprehensive market data for the global semiconductor equipment market. A subscription includes three reports: the monthly SEMI Billings Report, which offers a perspective of the trends in the equipment market; the monthly Worldwide Semiconductor Equipment Market Statistics (WWSEMS), a detailed report of semiconductor equipment billings for seven regions and 24 market segments; and the SEMI Semiconductor Equipment Forecast, which provides an outlook for the semiconductor equipment market. More information is also available online: www.semi.org/en/MarketInfo/EquipmentMarket.

The semiconductor industry continued its upward trend in the third quarter of 2017, notching 12 percent sequential growth with strength across all application markets, according to IHS Markit (Nasdaq: INFO). Global revenue totaled $113.9 billion, up from $101.7 billion in the second quarter of 2017.

As memory prices remain high and the wireless market continues to see strong demand through the fourth quarter, 2017 is shaping up to be a record-breaking year for the semiconductor industry. IHS Markit projects that semiconductor revenue will reach a record-high $428.9 billion in 2017, representing a year-over-year growth rate of 21 percent.

Key growth drivers

All application end markets posted sequential growth over the prior quarter, with wireless communications and data processing categories leading the pack.

Revenue from wireless applications grew faster sequentially in the third quarter of 2017 than any of the other high-level application markets. Semiconductor revenue from wireless applications was a record high $34.8 billion in the third quarter, representing nearly 31 percent of the total semiconductor market. IHS Markit anticipates an even bigger fourth quarter for wireless applications, projecting $37.5 billion in revenue — and more than $131 billion for the full-year 2017.

As the wireless market evolves, this growth can be attributed to a number of factors. ”More complex and comprehensive smartphone systems on a chip are supporting applications such as augmented reality and computational photography,” said Brad Shaffer, senior analyst for wireless semiconductors and applications at IHS Markit. “Premium smartphones have increasing amounts of memory and storage. The radio frequency content in these smartphones has also grown considerably over the past few product generations, with many high-end smartphones now supporting gigabit LTE mobile broadband speeds.”

The memory markets proved once again to be the driving force and highest-growing segment for semiconductors in the third quarter of 2017. “The DRAM industry had another record quarter with $19.8 billion in revenue, exceeding the prior record by more than $3 billion,” said Mike Howard, director for DRAM memory and storage research at IHS Markit. “Prices and shipments were up during the quarter as strong demand for mobile and server DRAM continued to propel the market.”

Top_5_memory

The NAND industry had another record quarter as well, growing 12.9 percent in the third quarter of 2017, with total revenue reaching $14.2 billion. “Pricing was flat in the quarter, as seasonally strong demand driven by the mobile and solid-state drive segments was able to offset moderate shipment growth,” said Walter Coon, director for NAND flash technology research at IHS Markit. “The market is expected to soften exiting 2017 and into early next year, as the industry transition to 3D NAND technology continues to progress and the market enters a traditionally slower demand period.”

Manufacturer moves

Samsung officially passed Intel to become the number-one semiconductor supplier in the world in the third quarter of 2017, growing 14.9 percent sequentially. Intel now comes in at number two, with SK Hynix securing the third rank in terms of semiconductor revenue for the third quarter.

top_5_semiconductor

Among the top 20 semiconductor suppliers, Apple and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) achieved the highest revenue growth quarter over quarter by 46.6 percent and 34.3 percent, respectively.

There was a good deal of market share movement within the top 10 suppliers throughout the third quarter as well. In terms of semiconductor revenue, Qualcomm surpassed Broadcom Limited to secure the number-five spot, while nVidia made its way into the top 10 ranking for the first time ever. At this time last year, the top five semiconductor companies controlled 40 percent market share of the entire industry. The top five gained 4.2 percent more market share this year over last year, while comprising three memory companies instead of the previous two.

More information on this topic can be found in the latest release of the Semiconductor Competitive Landscaping Tool (CLT) from the IHS Markit Semiconductor Competitive Landscape CLT Intelligence Service.

Transphorm Inc., a designer and manufacturer of highest reliability (JEDEC and AEC-Q101 qualified) 650V gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductors, announced it received a $15 million investment from Yaskawa Electric Corporation. This news comes only a few weeks after Yaskawa revealed its integrated Σ-7 F servo motor relies on Transphorm’s high-voltage (HV) GaN to deliver unprecedented performance and power density. Transphorm intends to allocate the funds to various areas of its GaN product development.

“We’ve seen the benefits of working with gallium nitride from the R&D phases through to the application development phases of our products, such as photovoltaic converters and the integrated Σ-7 F servo motor,” said Yukio Tsutsui, General Manager of Corporate R&D Center from Yaskawa. “We look ahead to further developments from Transphorm and its cutting-edge technology.”

The integrated Σ-7 F products resulting from the companies’ co-development serves one of the core target markets that can benefit most from HV GaN: servo motors. The technology is also an optimal solution for automotive systems, data center and industrial power supplies, renewable energy and other broad industrial applications.

“Transphorm has consistently prioritized the quality and reliability of our GaN platform,” said Dr. Umesh Mishra, Chairman, CTO and co-founder of Transphorm. “That focus leads to strong customer relationships with visionaries such as Yaskawa and companies that not only innovate, but also influence market growth by demonstrating GaN’s real-world impact. Receiving Yaskawa’s recent support illustrates the rising confidence in GaN while underscoring its reliability.”

As organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays are used in more smartphones and high-end flat panel TVs, panel makers have boosted their investments in new OLED display fab construction. As a result, the global production capacity of AMOLED panels — including both red-green-blue (RGB) OLED and white OLED (WOLED) — is forecast to surge 320 percent from 11.9 million square meters in 2017 to 50.1 million square meters in 2022, according to new analysis from IHS Markit (Nasdaq: INFO).

The production capacity of RGB OLED panels for mobile applications will increase from 8.9 million square meters in 2017 to 31.9 million square meters in 2022, while the OLED capacity for TVs, mainly WOLED but including printing OLED, is set to grow from 3.0 million square meters in 2017 to 18.2 million square meters in 2022, says the latest Display Supply Demand & Equipment Tracker by IHS Markit.

The two market leaders — Samsung Display and LG Display — have taken different paths: Samsung is focusing on RGB OLED panels for mobile devices, and LG on WOLED displays for TVs. To cope with the trend of RGB OLED replacing the liquid crystal display (LCD) in smartphones and other mobile devices, especially for the full-screen and flexible feature of OLED panels, LG Display has started to manufacture RGB OLED panels in 2017. Meanwhile, Chinese panel makers, including BOE, ChinaStar, Tianma, Visionox, EverDisplay, Truly and Royole, are all expanding the production capacity of RGB OLED panels, targeting the mobile market.

OLED_panel_production_capacity_outlook

“It takes more than $11.5 billion to build a Gen 6 flexible OLED factory with a capacity of 90,000 substrate sheets per month, and this is a much larger investment required than building a Gen 10.5 TFT LCD fab with the same capacity,” said David Hsieh, senior director at IHS Markit. “The learning curve costs for the mass production of flexible OLED panels are also high. The financial and technological risks associated with the AMOLED panels have hampered Japanese and Taiwanese makers from entering the market aggressively,” Hsieh said. “In other words, the capacity expansion of AMOLED display, whether it is RGB OLED or WOLED, is only apparent in China and South Korea.”

Samsung Display will remain the dominant supplier of the RGB OLED panels for smartphones. Its RGB OLED panel capacity will grow from 7.7 million square meters in 2017 to 16.6 million square meters in 2022, IHS Markit says. Even though many Chinese panel makers are building RGB OLED fabs, each of their production capacity is much smaller than that of Samsung Display. Due to the gap in their production capacities, they will target different customers: Samsung Display will mainly focus on two major customers — Samsung Electronics (the Galaxy) and Apple (the iPhone), while Chinese makers will be targeting at Chinese smartphone makers at a smaller scale. These include Huawei, Xiaomi, Vivo, Oppo, Meizu, Lenovo and ZTE, and white box makers.

South Korea’s panel makers are estimated to account for 93 percent of the global AMOLED production capacity in 2017, and their share is expected to drop to 71 percent in 2022. Chinese players (BOE, ChinaStar, Tianma, Visionox, EverDisplay and Royole) will account for 26 percent in 2022 from 5 percent in 2017.

“Many interpret the strong expansion of RGB OLED capacity in China as a threat to South Korean makers. It is indeed a threat. However, while South Korean companies have high capacity fabs with high efficiencies, China’s OLED fabs are relatively small and dispersed across multiple regions and companies,” Hsieh said. “Also, while the Chinese makers could expand fabs with government subsidies, the operating performance will completely depend on the panel makers themselves. How long it will take until they could sustain the business, getting over the challenges with learning curve costs, initial low yield rates and capacity utilization, is still an open question.”

 

“The GaN market promises an imminent growth”, announced Dr. Ana Villamor, Technology & Market Analyst from Yole Développement (Yole). “2015 and 2016 have been undoubtedly exciting years for the GaN power business. We project the explosion of the market with 84% CAGR between 2017 and 2022. The market value will so reach US$ 450 million at the end of the period.” What makes the power GaN technology so promising?

The “More than Moore” market research and strategy consulting company Yole pursued its investigations based on numerous exchanges with power GaN companies and thanks to its participation to leading conferences. Yole announces this month the Power GaN 2017: Epitaxy, Devices, Applications, and Technology Trends report. Things are going on the right way: the power GaN supply chain prepares for production and 2017 has been showing significant investments that confirm the added-value of power GaN technology and its strong potential in numerous applications. The new Power GaN analysis conveys Yole’s understanding of GaN implementation and details the different market segments, the related drivers, metrics and technical roadmaps.

In 2016 the power GaN market reached US$ 12 million: it is still a small market compared to the impressive US$ 30 billion silicon power semiconductor market. However its expected growth in the short term is showing the enormous potential of the power GaN technology based on its suitability for high performance and high frequency solutions.

“LiDAR, wireless power and envelope tracking are high-end low/medium voltage applications, and GaN is the only existing technology able to meet their requirements,” explained Ana Villamor from Yole. “Beginning of the year, Velodyne Lidar opened a ‘megafactory’ to ramp up the latest 3D sensor for LiDAR manufacturing and this October they already announced a fourfold production increase.”
Other major companies, like Apple and Starbucks, started offering wireless charging solutions. Moreover, since 2016, EPC has been working with Taiwan’s JJPlus Corporation to accelerate the wireless charging market’s growth. The power supply segment is still the biggest application for GaN. The data center market is adopting GaN solutions with a phenomenal speed, driving a 114% CAGR for power supplies through to 2022. Existing solutions from Texas Instruments and EPC for data centers, consisting of a DC/DC converter and point of load supply that steps down the voltage from 48 V to 1.2 V in a single chip, will propel the market. AC/DC power adapters for laptops or smartphones can be also implemented with GaN power IC solutions, which further reduces the size and cost of the system.

Therefore the consumer market is expected to grow during coming years and Yole’s analysts envisage two different scenarios, depending on the acceptance in key markets like AC/DC adapters for laptops and cellphones.

GaN needs to hurry to gain adoption in the EV/HEV market because SiC MOSFETs are already replacing silicon IGBTs in the main inverters. However, a future market for the 48 V battery’s DC/DC converter is still possible for GaN due to its high-speed switching capability. Some main players, as Transphorm, have already obtained qualification for automotive, and this would help to finally ramp-up GaN production for EV/HEV.

In parallel, the GaN power devices supply chain is acting to support market growth. Therefore it is close to being settle for the power GaN market and deals during 2017 show confidence that GaN will be a successful market. “First of all, there have been big investments from the main foundries to increase their capacity to handle mass production”, asserted Zhen Zong, Technology & Market Analyst at Yole Développement. And he added: “Navitas just announced the partnership with TSMC and Amkor to ramp production capacity. Moreover, BMW i Ventures has just invested in GaN Systems. The Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs is also interested in using GaN for clean and green technologies, also in collaboration with GaN Systems.”

GaN manufacturers clearly continue developing new products and provide samples to customers, as is the case with EPC and its wireless charging line. For example, during 2017, Panasonic announced the mass production of its 650 V products and Exagan successfully produced its first high voltage devices on 8-inch wafers. Other players are in the final phase of R&D or qualification for their GaN products to be launched in 2018. In both cases, manufacturers and clients are pushing to use GaN HEMTs in emerging technologies.