Academician Zheng Youzhu: Third generation semiconductors usher in new development opportunities

Similarly, The development demand of information technology and electronic information technology industry has driven the development of semiconductor materials and technology.

Third generation semiconductor materials and their applications

The third generation semiconductor refers to the GaN, SiC As a representativeWide bandgap semiconductor materials, It is a continuation 20 century 50 Year by year Ge, Si Represented by the first generation of semiconductors and 70 Year by year GaAs, InP After the representative second-generation semiconductor 90 New Wide Bandgap Semiconductor Materials Developed in the Era, The bandgap width is significantly greater than Si (1. 12 eV) and GaAs (1. 43 eV) Semiconductor materials, Usually defined asThe forbidden band width is greater than 2 eV The material.

Currently, the ones that are receiving a lot of attention are 3 Class materials: (1) III Nitride semiconductorincluding GaN (3. 4 eV) , InN (0. 7 eV) and AlN (6. 2 eV) And its solid solution alloy materials; (2) Wide band gap IV aromatic compoundsof SiC (2. 4~3. 1 eV) And diamond film (5. 5 eV) material; (3) Wide bandgap oxide semiconductorincluding Zn Base oxide semiconductor (2. 8~4. 0 eV) of ZnO, ZnMgO, ZnCdO Materials and Gallium Oxide (β-Ga₂O₃, 4. 9 eV) . among which GaN, SiC Materials have been successfully applied in many industrial fields.

atOptoelectronics field, based on GaN, InN, AlN The excellent photoelectric properties of the direct energy gap of the solid solution alloy formed by it, DevelopedEfficient solid-state light-emitting light sourceandSolid state ultraviolet detection device, Filling the gap in short wavelength semiconductor optoelectronic technology, White light illumination has been turned on, Beyond Lighting, full color LED New Era of Display and Solid State UV Detection, After close proximity 20 years of development, Technology is becoming increasingly mature, The industry is flourishing, Achieved tremendous successscience, Economic and social benefits, 2019 Annual market size reaches 6388 RMB100mn.

atelectronics field, based on GaN, SiC The broadband gap, High electron saturation velocity, High breakdown electric field, Superior electronic properties of materials such as high thermal conductivity and low dielectric constant, Developed high energy efficiency, low power consumption, High extreme performance and resistance to harsh environmentsNew generation microwave RF devices (GaN) andPower electronic devices (SiC, GaN) .

GaN RF devicesand GaAs compared to, Having higher operating voltage, Higher power, higher efficiency, High power density, Higher working temperature and greater radiation resistance.

Power electronic devicesand Si compared to, Having higher operating voltage, High power density, High operating frequency, Low pass resistance, Extremely low reverse leakage current and high temperature resistance, Radiation resistance characteristics.

New opportunities in the era of new infrastructure construction

current, China is making efforts to implement 5G communication, Internet of Things, big data, Cloud computing and artificial intelligenceNew generation information technologyAnd its interconnection with high-speed trains, Industrial Internet of Things, Smart Manufacturing, Smart Energy, Smart City, healthcare, The transformation, upgrading and development of vertical industries such as rail transitNew infrastructure construction (New infrastructure) , Promote innovative development of China's economy and society, high-quality development.

5G The demand for new infrastructure in the eraThe traction, Becoming a third-generation semiconductor successor 21 At the beginning of the century, in response to the strategic needs of global energy and environmental development, we welcomed the LED After the development opportunities characterized by the semiconductor lighting industry, We are once again welcoming the third generation semiconductor electronic technology industry as its characteristicA new round of new development opportunities.

The third generation of semiconductor electronic technology is characterized by itshigh energy efficiency, low power consumption, High Extreme PerformanceandResistant to harsh environmentsThe irreplaceable advantage lies in the fields of microwave radio frequency and power electronics 5G information technology development, The implementation of new infrastructure plays an important supporting role from the technical bottom layer.

RF devicesIt is the core basic component of RF technology, asRF power amplification, Active RF switchandRF power sourceHas broad application prospects.

GaN RF devicesCompared to traditional silicon horizontalDiffusion metal oxide semiconductor (Si-LDMOS) and GaAs Compared to other devices, haveHigher operating voltage, Higher power, higher efficiency, High power density, Higher working temperature and greater radiation resistancethe advantage of, Support the implementation of new infrastructure, From advanced and high-end radar, electronic countermeasure, The application of military electronic equipment such as navigation and space communication has entered 5G base station, Internet of Things, LiDAR, Millimeter wave radar for autonomous vehicles, Widely used civilian fields such as artificial intelligence and general solid-state RF power sources, Explore the huge consumer electronics market, promisingReshaping the New Pattern of RF Technology Development.

for example, GaNRF devices as5GBase station RF power amplifier (PA) The core components, Addressing the challenges faced by base station communication systemsHuge energy consumption bottleneck, triggerGaNExplosive growth in demand for RF devices.

5G High frequency band operation of macro base station, High loss, Short transmission distance, 5G The base station needs to achieve 4G The same coverage target of the signal, Will be needed 4G The number of base stations 3~4 times (Currently, China 4G base station 445 Ten thousand) , 5G Base stations adopt large-scale array antenna technology to enhance network capacity (MIMO) , 64 The channel's MIMO Single base station of array antenna PA The demand is approaching 200 a, thus 5G What is the power consumption of the base station 4G of 3~4 times, 5G The overall energy consumption of the base station will be 4G of 9 More than double.

Therefore, GaN RF devices have become irreplaceable due to their advantages 5G base station PA The inevitable choice, also 4G base station PA The mainstream direction of upgrading; The implementation of new infrastructure is GaN RF devices have pioneered in the field of radarWide range of civilian application scenarios.

GaN The millimeter wave radar hascompact size, Light weight, high resolution, and smoke penetration, fog, Strong dust ability, The characteristic of long transmission distance, Will be integrated into the Internet of Vehicles, Internet of Things, Smart Manufacturing, Widely applied in various fields such as smart society, for example 77 GHz Frequency band GaN Millimeter wave radar as a remote detector of autonomous vehicle, Used to accurately perceive surrounding obstacles, To achieve automatic emergency braking, Adaptive Cruise Control, Forward collision warning, etcFunctions in the field of active safety.

Power electronic devices areElectric energy conversion, managementThe core components, The energy efficiency of devices determines the electronic system, The energy consumption level of equipment and products, Volume and mass size, Cost, reliability, and battery life of intelligent mobile terminals.

The demand for power electronic devices in modern electronic systems or equipment is increasing, Not only does it requireHigher power densityandHigher energy efficiencyAnd it is required to haveHigh Extreme CharacteristicsandPerformance resistant to harsh environments, traditional Si Low conversion efficiency of power electronic devices, At the cost of huge energy consumption, And device performance such as blocking voltage, switching frequency, The improvement of conversion efficiency and reliability is gradually approaching again Si Physical limits of materials, face severe challenges.

SiC, GaN Power electronic devices have surpassed Si Excellent characteristics of the device, satisfiable 5G New demands in the field of information technology and new infrastructure, Resolve data center issues, The huge energy consumption bottleneck and support faced by information infrastructure such as wireless base stations IT Implementation of mobile intelligent terminalsminiaturization, lightweight, And enhance battery life, Supporting new energy vehicles, Smart Energy, rail transit, Intelligent manufacturing, etcNew infrastructure advantages, application areas, industrial developmentThe urgent need.

SiC, GaN Power electronic devices due to theirDifferences in electrical properties of materialsSuitable for different power application scenarios: SiC Power devices applied to high voltage, High power power power control, Such as new energy vehicles and their charging infrastructure, new energy power inverters, and smart energy systems.

According to test data reports, New energy vehicles adopt SiC The inverter of the power module can reduce switch losses 75% (CHIP Temperature 215℃) , Inverter size reduction 43%, Quality reduction 6 kg, Enable continuous range of the carincrease 20%~30%.

China is the world's largestnew energy vehiclemarket, 2019 Annual sales of new energy vehicles in China 116 ten thousand units, Occupy the world 54%, The market for automotive power devices is experiencing significant growth, for SiC The power electronics and module industry bringsHuge development space; GaN Application of power devices in low voltage, High frequency power control, Facing the extremely broad application prospects in the field of consumer electronics.

Especially based on its high operating frequency, Low dynamic loss, Low on resistance and high temperature resistance, Excellent performance with low heat generation, Extremely suitable asApplication of Switching Power Supply, To provide various modern consumer electronic terminalsGreen and efficient power supply.

For example, as a fast charging power adapter, solve Si Realizing fast charging of devices faces the contradiction of increasing power and volume, Reduce power loss and size of the power supplySharply reduced 50%, Not only can it shorten the charging time of mobile phones, Effectively enhance battery life, And it is expected to achieve mobile phones, tablet, game console, AR glasses, VR Helmets and various other itemsIntegrated charging of mobile terminals, Support is portable IT Development of terminal products, Become the current GaN The development trend of power electronics industry, estimated to 2025 Global Year GaN The fast charging product market will reach 600 Billions of yuan.

GaN Power devices and SiC compared to, Faster switch speed, Lower on state resistance, Less driving loss, Higher conversion efficiency, Lower fever, and Si base GaN Devices have the advantage of lower cost, Therefore GaN Power electronics technology is not only widely used, but also has a wide range of applicationsConsumer electronics field, And in various new infrastructure projectsMedium and low voltage application scenariosIt has extremely broad application prospects.

Future Prospects

at 5G IT Age, Third generation semiconductors usher in new development opportunities, The implementation of new infrastructure promotes the development of the third-generation semiconductor industry into a golden window period, Presenting a positive momentum of development, Expected to gradually achieveself-developed and controllable, safe and reliableThe Third Generation Semiconductor Industry System, Compared to the first generation, Second generation semiconductorcomplementary advantages, Collaborative supportInnovation and development of new generation information technology, Supporting the high-quality development of China's social economy in the new era.