Application demand driven
Show good development prospects
Wide bandgap semiconductor materials represented by SiC and GaN have good physical properties, due to the improvement of device performance in the fields of optoelectronics, power electronics and radio frequency microwaves due to silicon (Si) and compound semiconductor materials (GaAs, GaP, InP, etc.) The bottleneck is not enough to fully support the sustainable development of the new generation of information technology, and it is difficult to cope with the severe challenges of energy and environment. The industry urgently needs the development and support of the new generation of semiconductor material technology. The advantages of silicon carbide and gallium nitride complement each other. GaN power semiconductor The market application field is biased towards the medium and low voltage range, which is concentrated below 1000V, and SiC has advantages in the medium and high voltage range above 1000V. The application fields of the two cover new energy vehicles, photovoltaic, locomotive traction, smart grid, energy-saving appliances, Most of the emerging application markets with broad development prospects such as communication radio. Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Professor Zheng Youzhen of Nanjing University pointed out that it is imperative to support the sustainable development of the Internet in the future, and to promote green energy-saving technologies. The aspect has excellent characteristics and great potential. According to IDC estimates, among the 3 million data in the world
In terms of new energy vehicles, China’s new energy vehicle sales last year were about 800,000 units, and this year it is expected to exceed 1 million units. The core difficulty of new energy vehicles is that the charging rate is too slow, and mainstream research focuses on fast charging technology. The implementation of fast charging technology requires the use of high-voltage SiC semiconductor devices. In the future, the entire new energy automotive industry, including automotive, auxiliary facilities, and charging piles, will become an important part of supporting high-end applications of SiC in the medium and high voltage fields.
In terms of RF communication, GaN technology is helping the development of 5G communication. 5G mobile communication expands from human-to-human communication to the Internet of Everything. It is expected that 100 billion devices will be connected in 2025. 5G technology requires not only ultra-bandwidth but also high-speed. Access, low access latency, low power consumption and high reliability to support the interconnection of massive devices. GaN power devices can provide higher power density, higher efficiency and lower power consumption.
The data shows that from 2018 to 2022, the global SiC power equipment market will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 35.73%. In 2016, the global GaN device market will reach US$16.5 billion, and by 2023 it will reach US$22.47 billion.
Insufficient industrial ecological development
China's industrial opportunities and challenges coexist
Although the timing of China's wide-bandgap power semiconductor innovation development has gradually matured, it is in an important window. However, experts attending the final review meeting believe that the industry still faces many difficulties. The development of an industry is related to two aspects: 1. The other is the industrial ecological environment.
Technically, wide bandgap power semiconductors face many technical challenges, such as substrate material integrity, epitaxial layer and ohmic contact quality, process stability, device reliability and cost control, and wide bandgap power semiconductor industrialization. The difficulty is much larger than the imagination of the outside world. Another important aspect is that the ecological environment for industrial development is not perfect. 5G mobile communication, electric vehicles, etc. are the most explosive growth potential applications of the wide-bandgap semiconductor industry. The gap between the maturity of the industrial ecology and the foreign countries is still relatively obvious, and the degree of backwardness is more than the backwardness of the technical level. The upstream and downstream synergies of the industrial chain are insufficient, and the problems in the development process of the material can be used-usable-useful.
In addition, Guan Baiyu, secretary-general of China Semiconductor Lighting/LED Industry and Application Alliance, pointed out: 'The wide bandgap power semiconductor needs the industrial chain and the synergistic development of the innovation chain. 'But the current domestic industry's innovation chain has not been opened up, and the overall innovation environment is poor. .
Wide-bandgap power semiconductors involve multidisciplinary, cross-disciplinary technologies and applications, and need to combine multiple resources in multiple fields to develop multidisciplinary and cross-disciplinary integration innovations, but R&D and industrialization require expensive growth and process equipment, high-grade Clean environment and advanced testing and analysis platform. At present, domestic research institutes engaged in the research and development of wide-bandgap semiconductors, small-scale enterprises, limited capital investment, slow development of research and development, and difficult to transform results.
Strengthen top design
Helping the industry to develop synergistically
It is precisely because the wide-bandgap power semiconductor industry has the characteristics of strong interdisciplinary discipline, wide application fields and large industrial relevance. Therefore, in order to promote its rapid coordinated development, it is necessary to do a top-level design and make overall arrangements. The '13th Five-Year National Science and Technology Innovation Plan》 (hereinafter referred to as “Planning”) proposes to develop a new generation of information technology, develop microelectronics and optoelectronic technology, and focus on strengthening very low power chips, new sensors, wide band gap semiconductor chips and silicon. Development of technologies and devices such as base optics, hybrid optoelectronics, microwave optoelectronics, etc. The drafting of the Roadmap will facilitate the implementation of the Plan. The roadmap indicates the direction of development and the main context, while doing the top design. It is conducive to the overall arrangement of the industry, which is conducive to the coordinated development of the industry, and at the same time attracts the attention of all parties, which is conducive to the introduction of new funds and resources.
Experts pointed out that the development of wide-bandgap semiconductors, on the one hand, must rely on independent research and development to achieve technological breakthroughs; on the other hand, we must give full play to the combination of production, education and research, and develop demand-oriented, market-oriented research and development. To overcome bottlenecks, solve problems, enter the market, and use it in practice. In addition, to strengthen the research and development and application of wide-bandgap semiconductor materials, it is urgent to introduce and train talents, select leading talents, enrich technical backbones, and accelerate team building.