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The rapid growth of automotive electronics, 5G, new energy vehicles, and rail transit has driven demand for devices that operate at high temperatures, high power, high voltage, and high frequency—giving rise to third-generation semiconductors. Third-generation semiconductors mainly include silicon carbide (SiC), aluminum nitride (AlN), gallium nitride (GaN), diamond, and zinc oxide (ZnO); of these, SiC and GaN are the most mature. The US, Japan, Europe, and other countries have made active strategic deployments in this area, and international vendors such as Infineon, Rohm, Texas Instruments, and STMicroelectronics have all begun to move into third-generation semiconductors, making third-generation semiconductor materials a global focus and a front line of semiconductor research and industrial competition. In addition, a group of Taiwanese foundries—including TSMC, VIS, WIN Semiconductors, X-Fab, Episil, and GlobalWafers—have joined the development of third-generation semiconductors, gradually pushing them into the spotlight. As is well known, China is currently investing heavily in the integrated circuit industry, and third-generation semiconductors, as key materials and components for next-generation electronics, have naturally attracted significant attention. Policy Analysis In May 2015, the State Council issued "Made in China 2025," which mentioned third-generation semiconductor power devices based on silicon carbide and gallium nitride four times. In July 2018, China's first "Third-Generation Semiconductor Power Electronics Technology Roadmap" was officially released. The roadmap covers four main areas—substrates/epitaxy/devices, packaging/modules, SiC applications, and GaN applications—and offers recommendations for China's path forward in third-generation semiconductor power electronics technology and forecasts for future industry development. To date, four 4/6-inch SiC production/pilot lines and three GaN production/pilot lines have been put into operation in China, and several third-generation semiconductor-related R&D pilot platforms are under construction. Domestic single-crystal substrates and epi wafers are steadily gaining market share, domestic SiC diodes and MOSFETs are entering the market, and domestic GaN microwave and RF devices are playing a leading role in defense and communications. Silicon Carbide According to Yole's 2018 report "Power SiC 2018: Materials, Devices, and Applications," the total SiC power market will exceed US$1.4 billion by 2023, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 29% from 2017 to 2023. From an industry-chain perspective, silicon carbide encompasses single-crystal substrates, epi wafers, device design, and device manufacturing, but the global SiC market is currently dominated by overseas companies—particularly those in the US, Europe, and Japan. The US leads, accounting for 70%–80% of global SiC output; Europe has a complete SiC substrate, epitaxy, device, and application chain; and Japan is the clear leader in equipment and module development. So how is domestic silicon carbide developing? On substrates, domestic production is mainly 4-inch, and 6-inch conductive SiC substrates and high-purity semi-insulating SiC substrates have now been developed. According to CASA data, SICC, TankeBlue, Hebei Synlight, and Zhongke Energy Saving have all completed development of 6-inch substrates, and CETC Equipment has developed 6-inch semi-insulating substrates. SICC In 2017, SICC independently developed a new high-purity semi-insulating substrate material; volume production is currently mainly 4-inch, and its 4H conductive SiC substrate products include 2-inch, 3-inch, 4-inch, and 6-inch. SICC has also independently developed 6-inch N-type SiC substrate material. On November 13, 2018, a groundbreaking ceremony was held in Liuyang High-Tech Zone, Changsha, for the SICC silicon carbide materials project. The project marks the official start of construction of China's largest third-generation semiconductor silicon carbide materials project and turnkey process line. The project, developed and built by Shandong SICC Crystal Materials Co., Ltd., involves a total investment of RMB 3 billion and is being built in two phases. Phase I covers 156 mu and will mainly produce conductive SiC substrates, with an estimated annual output value of RMB 1.3 billion; Phase II will mainly produce functional devices, including power device packaging, modules, and units, new energy vehicle and charging station equipment, rail transit traction converters, and solar PV inverters, with an estimated annual output value of RMB 5–6 billion and tax revenue of RMB 500–700 million. TankeBlue As of July 2018, TankeBlue had developed four product lines: 4-inch SiC wafer production (6-inch not yet in volume production, in preparation); SiC single-crystal growth equipment; SiC crystal cutting, wafer processing, and cleaning/re-polishing services; and SiC gemstone crystals. Yang Jian, general manager of TankeBlue, said: "We now have more than 100 furnaces in total and can produce 20,000 4-inch conductive SiC wafers a year. Our capacity still falls short of market demand—our four major customers alone need 200,000 wafers. TankeBlue is continuing to expand capacity, with plans to triple it." In October 2018, TankeBlue formally signed an agreement for a SiC wafer project invested in the Xuzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone. Hebei Synlight Hebei Synlight's main products include 4-inch and 6-inch conductive and semi-insulating SiC substrates; its 4-inch substrates have reached world-class levels. In October 2017, Synlight, together with Tsinghua University, Peking University's Wide-Bandgap Semiconductor Research Center, the Institute of Semiconductors of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Hebei University, jointly established a "Third-Generation Semiconductor Materials Testing Platform," promoting the development of China's third-generation semiconductor industry. Zhongke Energy Saving In July 2017, Zhongke Energy Saving signed a cooperation agreement with Laixi, Qingdao, and Guohong Zhongjing to invest in and build a SiC crystal growth line. The project involves a total investment of RMB 1 billion and is being built in two phases. Phase I, with an investment of about RMB 500 million, is expected to be completed and put into production in June 2019, after which it will produce 50,000 4-inch N-type SiC crystal substrate wafers and 5,000 4-inch high-purity semi-insulating SiC crystal substrate wafers per year; Phase II, with an investment of about RMB 500 million, will produce 50,000 6-inch N-type SiC crystal substrate wafers and 5,000 4-inch high-purity semi-insulating SiC crystal substrate wafers per year. Norstel Norstel was founded in February 2005 as a spin-off from silicon wafer manufacturer Okmetic Oyj. Its factory in Norrköping, Sweden, was completed in 2006. Norstel uses its patented high-temperature chemical vapor deposition (HTCVD) technology to produce high-quality, large-diameter SiC substrates and epi wafers. On epi wafers, domestic suppliers Epiworld, Dongguan TYSiC, and National Tiancheng (a subsidiary of Nationz Technologies) can supply 4–6-inch epi wafers, and CETC Institutes 13 and 55 both have in-house epi wafer production departments. Epiworld Epiworld is a Sino-US joint-venture high-tech enterprise in China focused on SiC epitaxial wafers. The company has established a complete 3-inch, 4-inch, and 6-inch SiC semiconductor epi wafer production line that meets the requirements for 600V, 1200V, and 1700V devices. It is also the first domestic supplier to offer commercial 6-inch SiC epi wafers. Dongguan TYSiC Dongguan TYSiC Semiconductor Technology Co., Ltd. (TYSiC) was founded on January 7, 2009, and is China's first high-tech enterprise specializing in the R&D, production, and sales of third-generation semiconductor SiC epi wafers. The company has introduced four world-class SiC-CVD systems and supporting inspection equipment, and its growth technology has reached international advanced levels. By 2012, TYSiC had achieved an annual production capacity of more than 20,000 3-inch and 4-inch SiC epi wafers; it now offers 6-inch SiC epi wafers and a range of unipolar and bipolar SiC power devices. Nationz Technologies On August 15, 2017, Nationz Technologies announced that its wholly owned subsidiary Guomin Investment had signed an investment agreement with the Qionglai municipal government in Chengdu to invest no less than RMB 8 billion in building the "Guomin Tiancheng Compound Semiconductor Eco-Industrial Park," which is expected to take initial shape in three years and reach full capacity in five. The company also planned to invest RMB 50 million through Guomin Investment to establish, together with Chen Yaping's technical team and others, Chengdu Guomin Tiancheng Compound Semiconductor Co., Ltd., to build and operate a 6-inch second- and third-generation semiconductor IC epi wafer project, with first-phase investment of RMB 450 million. On devices/modules/IDM, China lags in SiC device design, with no vendors yet involved. However, in module and device manufacturing, a number of excellent companies have emerged, including Sanan IC, HiWafer, Global Power Technology, CRRC Times, Century Goldlight, Xinguang Runze, BASiC Semiconductor, Guoyang Electronics, Silan, Yangjie Technology, InventChip, Tianjin Zhonghuan, Jiangsu Huagong, Dalian Xinguan, and Juli Cheng Semiconductor. Sanan IC In December 2018, Xiamen Sanan Integrated Circuit, a subsidiary of Sanan Optoelectronics, announced the launch of a 6-inch SiC wafer foundry process. All process qualification tests for the commercial 6-inch SiC wafer manufacturing technology have been completed and added to Sanan IC's foundry service portfolio. Global Power Technology Global Power Technology's core products are centered on SiC Schottky diodes, including SiC Schottky diodes in various package types, SiC MOSFETs, and SiC modules. Its 600V/5A–50A, 1200V/5A–50A, and 1700V/10A SiC Schottky diode series are already in volume production. The company has built China's first SiC device production line, with SBD products covering 600V–3300V. Xinguang Runze In 2012, Xinguang Runze brought in top industry experts from home and abroad, formed a SiC chip R&D team, and established joint R&D centers for third-generation semiconductors with Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xidian University, and other institutions. In December 2016, construction officially began on Xinguang Runze's third-generation semiconductor SiC power module industrialization project. In September 2018, Xiamen Xinguang Runze's first domestic SiC IPM line officially went into production, marking another important breakthrough for China in the strategic emerging SiC chip industry. Century Goldlight Century Goldlight is a high-tech enterprise dedicated to the R&D, production, and sales of second- and third-generation semiconductor crystal materials and epitaxial devices. Its main products are currently 2–4-inch SiC single-crystal wafers, which meet the requirements of optoelectronic, microwave, and power devices. BASiC Semiconductor BASiC Semiconductor Ltd. is a leading company in China's third-generation semiconductor industry, dedicated to the R&D and industrialization of SiC power devices. BASiC integrates overseas innovation with domestic industrial resources, conducting R&D across the entire industry chain—from material preparation and chip design to manufacturing processes, packaging and testing, and driver applications. Based on its proprietary 3D SiCTM technology, BASiC's SiC power devices reach international advanced performance levels and can be widely used in renewable energy generation, new energy vehicles, rail transit, and smart grids. Guoyang Electronics In 2016, the power electronics industrial park project of Yangzhou Guoyang Electronics Co., Ltd., located in the Yangzhou Development Zone, was officially completed and put into production in October. The project was implemented in three phases: about RMB 90 million invested in 2014 to build a SiC module project; about RMB 910 million invested in 2015–2016 to build SiC materials, expand SiC module production, and build a large-diameter silicon epitaxy project; and about RMB 1 billion invested in 2017–2018 to expand large-diameter silicon epitaxy production and build an RF module project. Yangjie Technology Yangjie Technology's products include power diodes, rectifier bridges, Schottky diodes, and MOSFETs. With its 4-inch line doubling capacity and its 6-inch line reaching full production by the end of 2018, total revenue has grown steadily at 35% on the back of shipment growth. In March 2015, Yangjie signed an agreement with Xidian University to carry out industrialization and application research on third-generation semiconductor materials and devices; in April 2015, Yangjie acquired a 38.87% stake in Guoyu Electronics through capital increase and equity transfer, establishing close cooperation with CETC Institute 55 on SiC chips and modules; and in July 2015, Yangjie raised RMB 150 million for SiC chip and device R&D and industrialization. The company is also strategically positioning itself in high-margin products such as 8-inch IGBT chips and IPM modules, with multiple product lines developing in concert to help it grow its share of the power device market. InventChip In May 2018, Shanghai InventChip announced that the first domestically made 6-inch silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFET wafer had been produced. According to the company, InventChip completed process flow, device, and layout design in early October 2017, completed preliminary process trials between October and December, began official tape-out in December 2017, and in May 2018 successfully completed the SiC MOSFET manufacturing flow on a mature volume-production 6-inch process line. Wafer-level test results showed that all electrical parameters met expectations, laying a solid foundation for further optimization of process and device design. Yole forecasts that the GaN RF device market will double from 2016 to 2020, with a CAGR of 4%, and will grow to 2.5 times its current size by the end of 2020. In 2019–2020, 5G network deployment will take over as the driver of GaN market growth. Over the next 10 years, the GaN market is expected to exceed US$3 billion. In GaN, TSMC and VIS offer GaN-on-Si foundry services, WIN Semiconductors focuses on GaN-on-SiC targeting 5G base station opportunities, and X-Fab, Episil, and GlobalWafers also offer SiC and GaN foundry services. As foundry activity grows, the market for third-generation semiconductor materials will expand further.
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