At present, gallium oxide is becoming a rising star in the semiconductor industry. Gallium oxide is considered to be the fourth-generation semiconductor material after the third-generation semiconductor materials silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN). It can be said that gallium oxide is the semiconductor material with the most market potential, and it is possible to dominate the semiconductor market in the next ten years. Japanese companies have already begun to take action.
Recently, Nikkei reported that Japanese start-up Novel Crystal Technology is stepping up the commercialization of a new generation of wafers used in power semiconductors equipped in pure electric vehicles. It is reported that this is a wafer made of gallium oxide (GaO), and mass production will begin as early as 2025.
Novel Crystal plans to produce 20,000 100mm wafers per year from 2025, and mass-produce more efficient 200mm wafers by 2028. The company's president, Kurama, said that gallium oxide has more advantages than silicon carbide, and the company's own process can reduce costs to a third of the level.
For many people, gallium oxide is relatively new. In short, this material has the characteristics of ultra-wide band gap, can withstand higher voltage breakdown voltage and critical electric field, so it has great potential in the application of ultra-high power components. Coupled with its high quality and large size of natural substrates, it has a unique and significant cost advantage over the currently used wide bandgap silicon carbide and gallium nitride technologies.