Due to their extensive availability and affordability, thin silicon wafers have been the go-to substrate for power electronics for several years. However, as technologies advance, newer and better materials, like gallium arsenide, emerge, potentially stealing market share from silicon.
GaAs-powered devices offer less power consumption and more efficiency, making them an attractive choice. But will they replace silicon as the main semiconductor worldwide?
GaAs wafers' lower power consumption and increased efficiency are luring market participants to use them, which is driving up demand for them.
These days, very large-scale integrated circuit manufacturing has benefited from using GaAs in place of silicon. Previously, GaAs-powered optoelectronic devices were widely used in short-range optical communications and computer peripherals. Now, they are in high demand for new applications such as lidar, augmented reality, and face recognition.
GaAs has five distinct advantages: electron mobility, single junction band-gap, higher efficiency, heat and moisture resistance, and superior flexibility, all increasing the acceptance of GaAs wafers in the semiconductor industry.
With these benefits, GaAs is increasingly used in other optoelectronics applications such as LEDs, solar cells, and photodetector devices.
Because we depend on energy, its negative environmental effects and the depletion of resources have made energy conservation a concern worldwide, affecting all aspects of our lives.
Electronic devices, an essential part of our modern lifestyle, can also be a significant source of energy savings. Significant amounts of electric energy are lost during power electronics processes, limiting the power efficiency and reliability of the electrical and mechanical systems.
The three semiconductor materials currently utilized in power electronics are gallium nitride (GaN), silicon (Si), and silicon carbide (SiC). Silicon performs poorly at higher temperatures and energy densities, while SiC and GaN are frequently too costly and inapplicable for higher currents.
GaAs devices are comparatively insensitive to overheating because of their wider energy band gap. They also tend to produce less noise (disturbance in an electrical signal) in electronic circuits than silicon devices, particularly at high frequencies, due to higher carrier mobilities and lower resistive device parasitics.
Because of these superior qualities, scientists, engineers, and manufacturers must consider using GaAs circuitry in higher frequency radar systems, satellite communications, mobile phones, and microwave point-to-point links.
Although they won't completely replace the current semiconductor market, next-generation GaAs semiconductors and devices are expected to increase demand significantly.
Since GaAs wafers and substrates function more quickly than silicon semiconductors, they represent next-generation technology. Next-generation GaAs supports signal speed to implement advancements like the Internet of Things (IoT), 5G networks, and more.
The potential for next-generation GaAs wafers is enormous, with the entire semiconductor market expected to reach $20 trillion by 2026. GaAs semiconductor markets are expected to take off once global economies recognize these advancements.
Two widely used techniques are liquid encapsulation Czochralski (LEC) and vertical gradient freeze (VGF), which enhance the production of GaAs wafers with high electrical property uniformity and superior surface quality.
LEC is an adaptation of the standard Czochralski (CZ) method used for growing silicon, but designed to handle the challenges of GaAs growth, particularly the loss of arsenic during heating.
GaAs melts at around 1238°C (2260°F). Heat the material above this point to grow crystals (e.g., in LEC or VGF) to get a molten GaAs mixture. At these high temperatures, arsenic atoms easily vaporize (turn from solid or liquid to gas).
Arsenic has a much higher vapor pressure than gallium, meaning it wants to escape into the air (or vacuum) as a gas. When arsenic escapes, the stoichiometric balance of the GaAs compound is broken (i.e., you end up with too much gallium and not enough arsenic). This can lead to defects, poor crystal quality, or unwanted electrical properties in the grown wafer.
The LEC method avoids that by adding a liquid encapsulant, usually boric oxide (B₂O₃), on top of the melt. This acts as a seal, preventing arsenic from escaping due to high vapor pressure.
How it Works:
VGF is a method of directional solidification. Instead of extracting the crystal as in LEC, it grows GaAs crystals by gradually cooling a melt under regulated thermal gradients.
How it Works:
Gallium arsenide was once considered a straightforward substitute for silicon, but it has since become indispensable in producing high-tech components. We can’t say that gallium arsenide will completely replace silicon; however, there’s a growing trend of appreciating this material’s value and adapting wafer fabs to incorporate it into their processes.
Here at Wafer World, we offer GaAs wafers with enhanced electrical properties to ensure better energy consumption for your next project. If you’d like to learn more about our products, contact us!
