China’s breakthrough in 3rd-gen semiconductor could advance military weapons
The breakthrough could enable China to significantly boost its GaN manufacturing sector.
Chinese researchers have discovered the leading cause of defects in the promising semiconductor material gallium nitride (GaN). This material is critical for developing advanced electronics, specifically those used for military applications.
The team, led by Professor Huang Bing and his team at Peking University, identifies the leading cause of defects in GaN crystal growth. GaN fabrication typically uses substrates like silicon and sapphire to support growth.
They found that the issue stems from dislocation defects, which disrupt the crystal structure, leading to leakage and reduced performance. The team found these defects because GaN has a hexagonal atomic structure, which makes it different from silicon’s cubic structure.
This differs from silicon defects, which are typically caused by gliding (a movement along a plane), which the industry has learned to control. GaN defects, on the other hand, are primarily due to climbing (changes in the number of local atoms), a process that has been poorly understood until now.