[News] San’an and its Partners Achieved Breakthrough in Gallium Oxide Epitaxy

Recently, San’an Optoelectronics, in collaboration with the National Engineering Research Center for Wide Bandgap Semiconductors at Xidian University and Hangzhou Garen Semiconductor, has achieved a key breakthrough in homoepitaxial gallium oxide technology.

Using metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), the joint team precisely optimized the initial nucleation process and successfully suppressed twin defects, enabling the growth of high-quality homoepitaxial layers on 2-inch substrates. Test results showed a wafer-wide root mean square surface roughness below 0.5nm, crystal quality comparable to that of the substrate, and electron mobility reaching 100 cm²/V·s.

Based on the developed epitaxial wafers, the team has prioritized the development of lateral power devices. Compared with vertical architectures—which require conductive substrates, thick epitaxial layers, and face challenges associated with p-type doping in gallium oxide—lateral devices can leverage semi-insulating substrates to reduce leakage currents. They also offer greater flexibility in gate-to-drain spacing design for high-voltage operation while maintaining strong compatibility with existing planar silicon manufacturing processes.

Without employing specialized edge-termination structures, the fabricated lateral device achieved a breakdown voltage of 1,420V, an on/off ratio of 10⁵, and threshold-voltage uniformity exceeding 91%, demonstrating the maturity of the integrated process flow from epitaxial material growth to device fabrication.

The joint team has now established capabilities for 2-inch gallium oxide epitaxy and device manufacturing, while laying the technological foundation for scaling to 6-inch and larger wafers.

The latest industry–academia collaboration between San’an, Xidian University, and Garen Semiconductor is expected to provide critical technological support for gallium oxide deployment in high-voltage applications such as smart grids and new-energy vehicles, accelerating the commercialization of ultra wide bandgap semiconductor technologies.

(Photo credit: San’an Optoelectronics)