Deposition equipment maker Aixtron SE of Aachen, Germany says that Japan’s Sumitomo Electric Device Innovations Inc (SEDI) has ordered a CRIUS metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) system, to be delivered in 4-inch wafer configuration, in order to boost production of gallium nitride on silicon carbide (GaN-on-SiC) devices for RF data transfer applications. The purchase was made in first-quarter 2014 for delivery at SEDI’s Electron Devices Division in Yokohama in third-quarter 2014.

SEDI is preparing for an expected ramp-up in demand starting in 2015 and chose the Aixtron system due to its reputation for 4-inch wafer uniformity and precise process control, which is especially important for device production on cost-intensive SiC wafers. The new reactor will be equipped with optional features such as dynamic gap adjustment, ARGUS in-situ temperature control, and an EpiCurve TT metrology system from LayTec. The ARGUS monitoring device provides full wafer mapping in real time for optimum control of the growth process. Extended flexibility is enabled by allowing the adjustment of the process gap between the showerhead and the substrate.

SEDI already has a range of GaN high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT) devices on offer for radar, mobile phone base-stations, and general applications. The HEMT devices exhibit high power amplification up to 14GHz RF, enabled by GaN-on-SiC.