Gallium Nitride or GaN is often
called the silicon of the future. As technology continues to advance at an
exponential rate, the need for faster, more efficient semiconductors has
created a demand for GaN semiconductors.
As gallium nitride semiconductors
have replaced traditional silicon MOSFETs in many applications, many
manufacturers are wondering if GaN will ultimately replace silicon as the
reigning supreme? Semiconductor industry analysis shows a positive outlook for GaN
but it will still be sometime before GaN will be at the heart of all
semiconductor manufacturing.
What is GaN?
Gallium nitride is a direct
bandgap semiconductor compound that is used to make semiconductor devices like
transistors, diodes etc. It is considered to be an extremely high-performance
material that was first introduced in the 1990s as a component in LEDs or light
emitting diodes. The reason why GaN is very efficient is because it has a wide
bandgap of 3.2 eV. It is a very hard material and has a Wurtzite crystal
structure. This enables the semiconductor to handle extremely high voltages and
temperatures.
The applications are many and
wide ranging. GaN is used in optoelectronic devices, high-frequency radio
communications etc. It can be used in the manufacturing of semiconductor power
devices and RF compounds. In fact, researchers are now working on developing
high temperature microprocessors using GaN for space applications.
Some of its current applications include
- Radiation-hardened transistors used in satellites
- Lasers and photonics applications like LEDs
- Radio frequency compounds, for example RF power amplifiers
- Solar cells for photovoltaic systems
- Wireless power transmission
- DC-DC converters
- Light detection and ranging that is devices in autonomous cars that measure distance with lasers
GaN versus silicon
Semiconductor market report shows
that GaN semiconductors have significant advantages over silicon technology.
GaN is superior in terms of power and temperature tolerance and it has unique
characteristics like high-speed switching capacity, high current density, low
resistance and a higher dielectric strength. Moreover GaN semiconductors have
matchless carrier mobility. The band gap is three times that of silicon and it
also has higher electric breakdown capabilities.
Semiconductor industry analysis
reveals that there is a surge in demand for GaN semiconductors especially in
military and space applications. This is expected to drive the market further
owing to their superior stability in radiation environments.
GaN is also seen to have a higher
demand in power electronics. This is because of its ability to control
electrons which is more than 1000 times of silicon and yet it is manufactured
at a lower cost.
According to semiconductor market
Data analysis, the global GaN devices market is expected to reach 25 billion by
2023 growing at the rate of 8% CAGR. The market is typically segmented into
type, wafer size, devices and end users.
As per semiconductor industry data analysis, the GaN semiconductor market is further segmented into
- Opto semiconductor
- Power semiconductor and
- RF semiconductors
The target market for gallium
nitride semiconductor devices include wafer equipment manufacturers, integrated
devices manufacturers, technology providers, research organizations and
consulting companies, government agencies, distributors and traders etc.
Some of the key providers in this
market are launching new products, upgrading their existing product range and
finding newer applications in their product offerings. As the demand rises, the
market is predicted to keep experiencing a greater level of competition. Some
of the top vendors in this GaN semiconductor devices market include Cree,
Infineon, Qorvo, Mitsubishi Electric, Efficient Power Conversion, GaN Systems,
Microsemi, Macom etc.
