One of the Top 10 Technology Trends in 2021: The third-generation semiconductors represented by GaN and SiC are experiencing a major application boom...
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Alibaba DAMO Academy Releases Top 10 Technology Trends for 2021
The third generation of semiconductors is experiencing an explosion in applications
On December 28, Alibaba DAMO Academy released the Top 10 Technology Trends for 2021, providing new predictions on how foundational technologies and the technology industry will develop in the post-pandemic era.
The first trend among them is: "The third-generation semiconductors represented by GaN and SiC are experiencing an explosion in applications".
Alibaba DAMO Academy believes that third-generation semiconductors, represented by GaN and SiC, possess excellent characteristics such as high temperature resistance, high voltage resistance, high frequency, high power, and radiation resistance. However, due to limitations in processes, costs, and other factors, their application has been limited to a small scope for many years.
In recent years, with continuous breakthroughs in material growth and device fabrication technologies, the cost-performance advantages of third-generation semiconductors have gradually become apparent, opening up application markets: SiC components are already used in automotive inverters, and GaN fast chargers have gone public in large numbers.
Over the next five years, electronic devices based on third-generation semiconductor materials will be widely used in scenarios such as 5G base stations, new energy vehicles, ultra-high voltage transmission, and data centers.
02Bolanter's STAR Market IPO application accepted, focusing on third-generation semiconductor materials Bolante's application for issuance and listing on the STAR Market was recently accepted. The company plans to raise 505 million yuan to invest in projects such as the annual production of 3 million pieces of patterned sapphire substrates dedicated to Mini/Micro-LED chips. Bolute primarily engages in the R&D and application of new semiconductor materials, devices, and related equipment. The company stated that it will further extend its supply chain, mainly expanding into fields related to third-generation semiconductor materials represented by SiC. Leading PSS Material Supplier Bolute was established in October 2012, with a registered capital of 150 million yuan. The company has been deeply engaged in the semiconductor materials field for many years, focusing on the R&D, production, and sales of patterned sapphire substrates (PSS), SiC substrates, and devices, as well as the upgrade and sales of semiconductor process equipment. Main products include patterned sapphire substrates (PSS), SiC substrates, and lithography machine retrofit equipment. It is understood that the substrates currently used for the industrial production of LED chips are mainly sapphire, serving as substrates for blue and green light. PSS is a new type of substrate formed by creating periodic micro-nano patterns on the surface of ordinary sapphire wafers through semiconductor processing techniques, which improves the lifespan and luminance of LED devices. According to the prospectus, PSS has become the mainstream product for LED substrates. BlueOptics' PSS products are mainly used as supporting substrates for the epitaxy of blue-green LEDs and deep UV LEDs, serving as key basic raw materials for LED chips. The company is among the top three PSS material suppliers globally. Since the second half of 2016, the Company has engaged in business cooperation with HC Semitek. In 2018, the volume of entrusted processing services was substantial. During the reporting period, the Company's revenue from entrusted processing services amounted to RMB 852,500, RMB 22,643,300, RMB 7,871,300, and RMB 48,700, respectively. The Company stated that entrusted processing is its primary mode of cooperation with HC Semitek. Considering the relatively low profit margins of entrusted processing services, the Company has gradually reduced the volume of such services for HC Semitek since 2019. Extend the supply chain As a third-generation semiconductor material, SiC features a wide bandgap, high thermal conductivity, high electron saturation drift velocity, high critical breakdown electric field, low dielectric constant, and excellent chemical stability, making it an ideal material for fabricating high-temperature, high-frequency, high-power, radiation-resistant, short-wavelength light-emitting and optoelectronic integrated devices. In 2019 and from January to June 2020, the Company's SiC substrate business revenue was RMB 6.4425 million and RMB 5.7030 million respectively, accounting for 1.87% and 3.38% of the total main business revenue respectively. SiC is a core material in fields such as satellite communications, high-voltage power transmission and distribution, rail transit, and electric vehicles. The industry chain mainly includes substrates, epitaxy, devices (design, manufacturing, packaging and testing), and applications. Currently, the SiC businesses of US-based Cree and SiCrystal (and its parent company ROHM) cover the entire industry chain including substrates, epitaxy, and devices, while the SiC products of II-VI, TankeBlue, SICC, and Blueoptics are all substrates. The main task of the Bolante lithography equipment team is to ensure the normal operation of the company's production line lithography machines, and on this basis, to retrofit and optimize second-hand equipment for sale. The company will use the funds raised to expand production for the annual output of 5.4 million sapphire substrate units, supplementing the internal demand gap for self-produced PSS and meeting market demand for sapphire substrates used in display chips. By implementing the project dedicated to producing 3 million units of Mini/Micro-LED chip-specific PSS annually, the company will promote mass production and sales of high value-added products, thereby enhancing profitability. In the future, through the construction of a third-generation semiconductor R&D center, the company will continue to research, optimize, and upgrade new semiconductor materials to achieve industrialization. The company stated that it will mainly expand into fields related to third-generation semiconductor materials, represented by SiC, enhance technical capabilities in crystal growth, substrate processing, epitaxy preparation, and chip design and processing, complete the R&D, production, and sales of products such as SiC substrates, deep UV LED chips, and high-brightness blue-green LED chips, consolidate its position in the field of key semiconductor materials, and build a globally leading new semiconductor materials company.
