+44 (0)24 7671 8970
More publications     •     Advertise with us     •     Contact us
*/
News Article

Rampant GaN-on-Si LED market could push power forward

Apart from the fact that silicon substrates are cheap, 8-inch CMOS semiconductor companies will find it relatively inexpensive to shift to growing gallium nitride-on-silicon LEDs. This could encourage chip manufacturers to pursue GaN-on-silicon power devices as a back up plan without major changes to equipment and processes

Currently, GaN-on-silicon holds the most promise in two markets: Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) and power devices.

Today, most of the larger companies seem to be focusing on the LED aspect.of GaN-on-silicon but there are some who are taking the power device route. To name but a few, Efficient Power Conversion (EPC), Nitronex, EpiGaN and Lattice Power.

Firms who are making LEDs the key focus of GaN-on-silicon include Osram, Samsung, Toshiba (which bought Bridgelux's technology) and Plessey.
Research institute imec, along with industrial partners, is pursuing both areas.

But according to many market analysts, the surge in the LED market will top level within the next ten years. As LEDs last so long, there could come a time when that particular market is in a period of stagnation. So these LED players may keep their options open and consider the power device route to fall back on. And so the future of the LED market could well affect the prospects for GaN-on-silicon power devices.

According to market analyst IHS, the penetration of GaN-on-silicon wafers into the LED market is forecast to increase at a compound annual growth rate of 69 percent from 2013 to 2020.

By this time they will account for 40 percent of all GaN LEDs manufactured, according IHS; new report.

In 2013, 95 percent of GaN LEDs will be manufactured on sapphire wafers, while only 1 percent will be manufactured on silicon wafers. The growth in the manufacturing of GaN-on-silicon LEDs between 2013 and 2020 will take market share from both sapphire and SiC wafers.

The figure below shows the GaN-on-silicon LED market share outlook in terms of revenue for the packaged LED market.


"Manufacturing large ingots made from sapphire is difficult, whereas silicon wafers are available from 8 inches up to 12 inches and are generally cheaper and more abundant," says Dkins Cho, senior analyst for lighting and LEDs at IHS. "There is a large pre-existing industry for silicon-based manufacturing that is leveraged to create economies of scale and reduce the cost of an LED."

Repurposing manufacturing facilities to accommodate the shift toward GaN-on-silicon LEDs is generally accepted to require minimal investment. Companies that previously manufactured CMOS semiconductors already own legacy 8-inch CMOS fabrication units that can be converted for LED production with a small modification. These companies already have in-house expertise and technology associated with silicon-based processes.

"Many of the CMOS semiconductor manufacturers already have excellent inspection tools, unlike traditional LED companies," Cho explains. "This could help increase their process yield through in-situ monitoring. However, it is unlikely the repurposing will happen overnight; instead we forecast a shift during the coming years."



×
Search the news archive

To close this popup you can press escape or click the close icon.
Logo
×
Logo
×
Register - Step 1

You may choose to subscribe to the Power Electronics World Magazine, the Power Electronics World Newsletter, or both. You may also request additional information if required, before submitting your application.


Please subscribe me to:

 

You chose the industry type of "Other"

Please enter the industry that you work in:
Please enter the industry that you work in: