Silicon carbide and gallium nitride in the news

 First integrated LED and transistor on GaN chip

Here’s a peek into things to come – very soon. The researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have successfully integrated an LED and a power transistor on a gallium nitride (GaN) chip. This could lead to a new generation of LED technology that is less expensive to manufacture, significantly more efficient, and one that enables new functionalities and applications beyond illumination.

A cross-section of a GaN LED and HEMT integrated chip.

At the heart of these LED lighting systems are chips made from GaN. For the LED to function, many external components — such as inductors, capacitors, silicon interconnects, and wires — must be installed on or integrated into the chip. The large size of the chip, with all of these necessary components, complicates the design and performance of LED lighting products. Additionally, the process of assembling these complex LED lighting systems can be slow, manually intensive, and expensive. Find more at: Smart Lighting ERC.

The driving forces behind IGBT markets
A return to steady growth for the IGBT market is expected after a rough couple years in 2011 and 2012, according to Yole Developpement. Electric and hybrid electric vehicles, renewable energies, motor drives, UPS, and transportation will be the driving forces behind the growth.

The motor drives application is the largest one for IGBTs. The report shows the break out for the industrial, commercial and residential segments. Photovoltaic and wind energies are also growing, even though European governments are easing back on investments, because Japan (possibly because of the tsunami that destroyed several nuclear plants) and several developing nations will make up for the slow-down in Europe.

In addition to the six key applications, every secondary application is analyzed in this report as well, and there are important trends not to be missed: the so-called “inverterization” trend is one of them. Home appliances increasingly require inverter-based motor drives, which provide better performance, comfort, and efficiency: all “musts” for high-end products. Consumers are also using more advanced home solutions, like induction-based plates for rice cookers. These new applications will contribute to IGBT’s growth in consumer applications.

However, the IGBT is no longer the only high-end device solution. SiC devices are ready, and GaN devices are at sample stage. Adoption roadmaps are clearer now. For example, the first full SiC PV inverters based on MOSFETs or JFETs are available. The IGBT is slowly moving to medium and-low end solutions, allowing SiC to handle higher voltages, and GaN to capitalize on lower voltages.

The need for efficient energy solutions is stronger than ever, and IGBT devices are still undergoing developments and improvements, such as thinner wafers, more efficient production, and integration of functionalities. The report says that there are plenty of opportunities still to be had for IGBTs. For more information go to http://tinyurl.com/kspl6gc