RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
"We know what trends we need to pursue."
- Prof. Dr. Michael Heuken, Vice President Corporate Research & Development
APOLLON proposal concerns the optimisation and development of Point focus and Mirror Based Spectra Splitting photovoltaic concentrating (CPV) systems (multi-approach). The different technology paths will be followed with due focalisation on the recognised critical issues related to each system component in order to increase CPV efficiency, assure reliability, reduce cost and environmental impact. MJ solar cells will be manufactured by using new materials and deposition technologies allowing reaching and even surpassing the MJ solar cell efficiency target set on the European Strategic Research Agenda on Concentration Photovoltaics. Optimisation of Fresnel and Prismatic lens along with the development of new non-imaging, low F/#, high concentration, cell self-protecting stable optics will allow getting high optical efficiency and wide acceptance angles. New concepts will be applied for Mirror based spectra splitting systems which will allow eliminating the cooling needs. Both the optimised and the new technologies will be properly tested to get reliable a long life time CPV systems. High Integration obtained with microelectronic and automotive light technologies for high throughput module assembly techniques, along with intelligent solutions for accurate, reliable, cost effective tracking and reduced mismatch losses will be addressed. Prototype systems will be developed for a full environmental and economical assessment finally leading to economically-attractive concentrating photovoltaics. In APOLLON all the actors’ chain, from Universities, SME, Big Enterprise up to the final End-User will bring to present scientific valuable, exploitable and durable products, with results dissemination all around Europe.
Participants: CESI RICERCA, Italy / AIXTRON SE, Germany / Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - Laboratory of Photonics and Nanostructures , France / Energies Nouvelles et Environnment, Belgium / CENTRO RICERCHE PLAST-OPTICA, Italy / State Enterprise Scientific Research Technological Institute of Instrument Engineering, Ukraine / Joint Research Centre (European Commission), EU / Ente per le Nuove Tecnologie, l’Energia e l’Ambiente, Italy / PV Technology Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering University of Cyprus, Cyprus / CPower, Italy / Solar*Tec AG, Germany / Energy research Centre of the Netherlands, The Netherlands / ENEL Produzione S.p.A, Italy / FUNDACIÓN ROBOTIKER, Spain / New and Renewable Energy Centre, England, University of Ferrara, Italy
Funded by the European Commission
Our modern society has gained enormously from novel miniaturized microelectronic products with enhanced functionality at ever decreasing cost. However, as size goes down, interconnects become major bottlenecks irrespective of the application domain.
CONNECT proposes innovations in novel interconnect architectures to enable future CMOS scaling by integration of metal-doped or metal-filled Carbon Nanotube (CNT) composite. To achieve the above, CONNECT aspires to develop fabrication techniques and processes to sustain reliable CNTs for on-chip interconnects. Also challenges of transferring the process into the semiconductor industry and CMOS compatibility will be addressed.
CONNECT will investigate ultra-fine CNT lines and metal-CNT composite material for addressing the most imminent high power consumption and electromigration issues of current state-of-the-art copper interconnects. Demonstrators will be developed to show significantly improved electrical resistivity (up to 10µOhmcm for individual doped CNT lines), ampacity (up to 108A/cm2 for CNT bundles), thermal and electromigration properties compared to state-of-the-art approaches with conventional copper interconnects. Additionally, CONNECT will develop novel CNT interconnect architectures to explore circuit- and architecture-level performance and energy efficiency.
The technologies developed in this project are key for both performance and manufacturability of scaled microelectronics. It will allow increased power density and scaling density of CMOS or CMOS extension and will also be applicable to alternative computing schemes such as neuromorphic computing. The CONNECT consortium has strong links along the value chain from fundamental research to end‐users and brings together some of the best research groups in that field in Europe. The realisation of CONNECT will foster the recovery of market shares of the European electronic sector and prepare the industry for future developments of the electronic landscape.
Adixen: Alcatel VacuumTechnology France SAS, France / AIS Automation Dresden GmbH, Germany / AIXTRON SE, Germany / ASM International NV, The Netherlands / ASML Netherlands B.V., The Netherlands / Bronkhorst, The Netherlands / CEA-LETI, France / EV Group E. Thallner GmbH, Austria / Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering (Fraunhofer IOF), Germany / Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Systems and Device Technology (Fraunhofer IISB), Germany / HAP GmbH, Germany / IBS Precision Engineering B.V., The Netherlands / IMEC, Belgium / Intel Performance Learning Solutions, Ireland / Mattson Thermal Products GmbH, Germany / NanoPhotonics GmbH, Germany / PTB (Physikalisch Technische Bundesanstalt), Germany / Oxford Intruments Plasma Technology Ltd., United Kingdom / PVA TePla AG, Germany / SemiQuarz GmbH, Germany / Recif Technologies SAS, France / SEMILAB Semiconductor Laboratory Co Ltd, Hungary / Siltronic AG, Germany / S.O.I.TEC Silicon on Insulator S.A., France / TNO, The Netherlands / Vistec Electron Beam GmbH, Germany / Xycarb Ceramics BV, The Netherlands
Funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
The Initial Training Network entitled "Piezoelectric Energy Harvesters for Self-Powered Automotive Sensors: from Advanced Lead-Free Materials to Smart Systems (ENHANCE)" will provide Early Stage Researchers (ESRs) with broad and intensive training within a multidisciplinary research and teaching environment. Key training topics will include development of energy harvesters compatible with MEMS technology and able to power wireless sensor. Applied to automobiles, such technology will allow for 50 kg of weight saving, connection simplification, space reduction, and reduced maintenance costs - all major steps towards creating green vehicles. Other important topics include technology innovation, education and intellectual asset management. ENHANCE links world-leading research groups at academic institutions to give a combined, integrated approach of synthesis/fabrication, characterization, modelling/theory linked to concepts for materials integration in devices and systems. Such a science-supported total engineering approach will lead towards efficient piezoelectric energy harvesters viable for the automotive industry. ESRs will focus on this common research objective, applying a multidisciplinary bottom-up approach, which can be summarized by: "engineered molecule- advanced material- designed device - smart system". The main purpose of the ENHANCE project is to create a multidisciplinary joint research activity, implying chemistry, materials science, physics, mechanics, engineering and electronics to create harvesters with high-power density and their systems offering stabilized output voltage in 1-3 V range and adapted to specific needs of sensors with high autonomy and working in temperature ranges from room temperature (RT) to 600 °C in vehicles. We propose to develop hybrid scavenging of energies available in the cars (heat (Th) light (Lt) – vibration (vi)) and/or to use multiple conversions effects (piezoelectric (Pi) – pyroelectric (Py) – electromagnetic (EM) – photovoltaic (PV) by the same transducer - heterostructure based on piezoelectric/ferroelectric/multiferroic crystals, films or nanostructures and not by adding multiple individual transducers into one package – a common approach used in literature. The approach of hybrid energy harvesting by single transducer, offering time efficient and simplified fabrication of hybrid system, is in line with the final goals of the project – creation of the systems of vibrational/thermal/light energy scavengers not only with sufficient efficiency of energy scavenging (300-500 μW/cm2/g2), but also with reasonable price and viable technologies of fabrication and integration for real industrial applications.
The Graphene Flagship is Europe's 10-year €1b funded programme started back in Oct 2013. The Flagship represents a new form of joint, coordinated research on an unprecedented scale, forming Europe's biggest ever research initiative. The programme is funded as short projects, and we are now in the "Core 2" phase.
The Graphene Flagship is tasked with bringing together academic and industrial researchers to take graphene from the realm of academic laboratories into European society in the space of 10 years, thus generating economic growth, new jobs and new opportunities.
In this project, AIXTRON has two key technical tasks:
(1) to develop an automated transfer system for realising back end integration of graphene on 300mm wafers;
(2) to develop reel to reel growth on graphene onto cables for anti-corrosion and electrical performance enhancement;
In terms of managing the project, Dr Ken Teo is the Chair of the Executive Board which is the decision making body of the Flagship; Dr Alex Jouvray runs the Production Work Package.
More information: Graphene Flagship
The Chancellor, Masters and Scholars of the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom / University of Cambridge, United Kingdom / AIXTRON SE, Germany / Cambridge CMOS Sensors Limited, United Kingdom / Commissariat a l’ Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives, France / INTEL Performance Learning Solutions Limited, Ireland / Thales SA, France / Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, France / Ecole Polytechnique Federal de Lausanne, Switzerland / Danmarks Tekniske Universitet, Denmark / Philips Technologie GmbH, Germany / Max Planck Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der Wissenschaften e.V., Germany / Gesellschaft fuer angewandte Mikro- und Optoelektronik mit beschränkter Haftung AMO GmbH, Germany / The Provost, Fellows, Foundation Scholars & the other Members of Board of the College of the Holy & Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, Ireland / Graphenea S.A., Spain
The consortium in the "HEA2D" project is investigating the basis for continuous processing chains of 2D nanomaterials with the aim of developing processes for series production.
Ferdinand-Braun-Institut, Leibniz-Institut für Höchstfrequenztechnik (FBH), Germany / Slovak Academy of Science, Slovakia / Technical University Vienna, Austria / University Padua, Italy / AIXTRON SE, Germany / Artesyn Austria GmbH & Co. KG, Austria / EpiGaN, Belgium / Infineon Technologies Austria AG, Austria
Philips Technologie GmbH, Germany / AIXTRON SE, Germany / BASF SE, Germany
Funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
ASM International, The Netherlands / Air Liquide, France / Bronkhorst, The Netherlands / Conti Temic Microelectronic GmbH, Germany / Infineon Technologies, Germany / NXP Semiconductors, Belgium, Netherlands / Oxford Instruments, UK / R3T GmbH, Germany / SAFC Hitech, UK / STMicroelectronics, France / CEA-LETI, France / IHP, Germany / IMEC, Belgium / Technical University of Eindhoven, The Netherlands / Tyndall National Instiute, Ireland / University of Helsinki, Finland
Funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
The partners have already achieved promising results in the development of III-V multi-junction solar cells on silicon. However, further improvements in component performance and production costs need to be achieved before industrial use can take place. This includes a reduction of the dislocation density in the III-V solar cell layers from today 108 cm-2 to the range of 1-5*106 cm-2, the demonstration of solar cells with efficiencies > 30 % and the optimization of the economic efficiency of the MOVPE growth processes. This "MehrSi" project addresses the most important development steps along this path. In particular, the following objectives should be achieved:
INOVA LISEC TECHNOLOGIEZENTRUM GMBH, Austria / PROFACTOR GMBH, Austria / ENERGY GLAS GMBH, Germany / DURST PHOTOTECHNIK SPA, Italy / TIGER Coatings, Italy / CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHE, Italy / UNIVERSITÄT LINZ, Austria / UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE, UK / UNIVERSITÄT KASSEL, Germany / KOREA UNIVERSITY RESEARCH AND BUSINESS FOUNDATION, Republic of Korea
EPFL, Switzerland / Jacobs University Bremen, Germany / University of Dublin, Ireland / Institute Jozef Stefan, Ljubljana, Slovenia / Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel / SCM, Netherlands / Evonik Industries AG, Germany
Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Germany / Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Germany / University of Valencia, Spain / European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, France / University of Cambridge, UK / University College Cork, Ireland / Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands / Hochschule RheinMain, Germany / Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Italy / Centro Ricerche Fiat S.C.p.A., Italy / Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands
Azzurro GmbH, Germany / MicroGaN GmbH, Germany / Infineon AG, Germany / SiCrystal AG, Germany
Funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
New facility will be the incubator of the photonics multinationals of the future.
Photonics is an emerging technology with a potential multitrillion market. Innovative small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are at the forefront of this development, but the R&D costs are prohibitive for them. That’s why 12 partners from northwestern Europe are creating an open access pilot line that will drastically reduce costs and time for the pilot production of new products. This new facility is projected to be the incubator of a thousand new companies and thousands of jobs. The 14 million euro project (OIP4NWE) is supported by the European Regional Development Fund and kicks off this week in Eindhoven.
Photonics is much like electronics, but instead of electrons it uses light (photons) as its workhorse. It uses much less energy, it is faster, and it opens up a wealth of new opportunities. One of the key problems photonics will help tackle is the exploding energy consumption of data centers, as photonic microchips consume much less energy than their electronic predecessors. Another example is a high-precision monitoring system for aircraft wings, bridges or tall buildings.
After two decades of basic photonics research, the first companies producing photonic integrated circuits (PICs) are now taking off – sparsely. One of the main hurdles is the high cost involved in R&D. Not only does the PIC production require expensive high-tech equipment installed in cleanrooms, but currently the production processes still have a high defect rate and are too slow. This was workable for basic research but not for commercial R&D. The technology readiness level, which ranges from 1 to 9, needs to be jacked up from the current 4 to 7.
The new project, led by photonics stronghold Eindhoven University of Technology (in collaboration with its Photonic Integration Technology Center), consists of the realization of an efficient pilot production line for shared use by European SMEs. It should take the defect rate in pilot production down and the throughput time will be shorter. All in all, this should lead to a cost reduction which significantly lowers the threshold for developing new photonic products. This should help establish a thousand integrated photonics firms within ten years after the project.
The front-end process (production of PICs on indium phosphide wafers) will be realized in the existing NanoLab@TU/e cleanroom facility at Eindhoven University. The PICs of different companies will be combined on one wafer to keep costs low. The back-end process is done at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Optics for beam shaping and light coupling) and at Tyndall National Institute in Cork, Ireland (Assembly of fiber-optic connections and electronics in the package). All steps require nanoscale precision to avoid product defects.
The first stage of the project is equipment installation. The second stage focusses on automation of the equipment while a third stage will involve intensive industrial research together with equipment manufacturers to optimize and develop new processes. The line should be fully in operation in 2022. To incentivize the initial uptake by SMEs, a voucher scheme for external SMEs will be set up.
The other parties involved are the companies AIXTRON SE (Germany), Oxford Instruments nanotechnology Tools (United Kingdom), SMART Photonics, VTEC Lasers & Sensors, Technobis Fibre Technologies (all Netherlands) and mBryonics Limited (Ireland) along with research centers Photonics Bretagne (France), Cluster NanoMikroWerkstoffePhotonik.NRW (Germany) and Photon Delta Cooperatie (Netherlands).
The project has a total budget of 13.9 million euros. Of this, the EU is funding 8.3 million, with the remainder coming from the participating parties.
Project Newsletter (April 2019)
TEI of Crete (coordinator), Imperial College London (UK), University of Oxford (UK), Politechnico di Milan (IT), University of St-Andrews (UK), Cyprus University of Technology (CY), Johannes Keppler University of Linz (AT), University of Groningen (HOL), Friedrich-Alexander Universitat Erlangen -Nurnberg (GER), Institute of Electronic Structure and Laser – IESL (GR), Technion Israel Institute of Technology (ISR), NanoForce Ltd (UK), Solvay S.A. (BEL), Ceradrop (FR), Beneq (FIN), AIXTRON (GER)
The main objective of the Life Long Learning (LLP) Erasmus Project ‘Organic Electronics & Applications’ – OREA is the development of a MSc curriculum in the field of Organic Electronics. The project benefits from the synergy between Universities, Research Institutions and Enterprises.
Die Anforderungen an Elektrofahrzeuge steigen heutzutage. Als wesentlicher Bestandteil, Hochleistungsbatterien in der großen Nachfrage, die spezifische technische Eigenschaften und präzise Fertigung erfordern. Die Eigenschaften von Stromabnehmern bestimmen in hohem Maße die Leistung der Leistungsbatterie. Herkömmliche Metallfolien können nur einer schwachen Bindung des aktiven Materials standhalten und sind sehr anfällig für Sulry/Elektrolyt. Um dieses technische Problem zu lösen, haben wir eine Kondensationsabscheidung von Carbon Nanotube (CNT)-Wald mittels CVD durchgeführt, die durch unsere einzigartige Technologie von Rolle zu Rolle skaliert werden kann. Die CNT-Abscheidungsschicht kann sowohl gegen saure Sulry als auch gegen organische Elektrolyte vor direktem Kontakt mit Metallfolie schützen. Darüber hinaus kann es auch eine bessere mechanische Verbindung zwischen CNT und elektrodenaktiven Materialien herstellen und so eine bessere elektrochemische Leistung für Power-Batterien bieten. In diesem Projekt möchten wir die Vorteile von AIXTRON bei der CVD- und CNT-Depositionstechnik mit den Vorteilen der anderen Projektpartner bei der Herstellung und dem Markt kombinieren.
Ziel des Projekts ist die Innovation eines neuen Produkts (nano-carbonbeschichtete Stromabnehmer) für leistungsstarke Lithium-Ionen-Batterien (LIBs) für Elektrofahrzeuge (EVs). Dieses Produkt ist ein notwendiges Zubehör für High-End-Batteriehersteller und stellt so mit relativ geringem Verkaufsaufwand eine einzigartige und profitable Marktchance für Weimu dar. Um einen erfolgreichen F&E-Output zu erreichen, sind die Hauptziele und Aktivitäten im Folgenden aufgeführt:
Ziele:
1. Entwicklung von Fertigungseinrichtungen und -techniken für spezielle industrielle Anforderungen,
2. Überzeugende Proben mit besserer Leistung als aktuelle LIBs,
3. Demonstration der Skalierbarkeit für Fertigung und Produktion.
Aktivitäten:
1. Herstellung von mit Nanokohlenstoff beschichteten Proben auf der Grundlage von Anforderungen, die mit Hilfe der vorhandenen AIXTRON-Forschungsanlage im Batch-Betrieb durchgeführt werden können.
2. Überprüfen und testen Sie beschichtete Proben in LIB-Knopfzellen,
3. Vergrößerung des Prozesses durch die Entwicklung einer Rolle-zu-Rolle-Fertigungsanlage,
4. Herstellung konventioneller LIBs im Maßstab für weitere Tests, 5. Sicherstellung des Endprodukts, der Kosten und der Eigenschaften.
Die Innovation, die dieses Projekt demonstriert, ist die Durchführung eines Trockenverfahrens zur Beschichtung von LIB-Stromabnehmern mit Kohlenstoff-Nanoröhren (CNT). In aktuellen LIBs sind Stromabnehmer hauptsächlich Aluminiumoxidfolien für die Kathode, Kupferfolien für die Anode. Blanke Metallfolien sind anfällig für Oxidation und Korrosion. Außerdem sind sie schwach mit der angrenzenden Elektrodenschicht verbunden. Um das Problem zu lösen, werden derzeit Lösungen mit einer dünnen Kohlenstoffschicht 2~5μm zur Verbesserung der Grenzflächeneigenschaften angeboten. Bei diesem Verfahren handelt es sich jedoch um einen Nassprozess, der eine lange Verarbeitungszeit und eine zusätzliche Lösungsmittelmischung erfordert. Daher hat es viele Vorteile, einen solchen Nassprozess durch einen Trockenprozess zu ersetzen, der auf unserer einzigartigen Nano-Kohlenstoff-Abscheidungsmethode basiert. Die Schritte konnten reduziert werden, so dass die Produktionszeit im Vergleich zu aktuellen Lösungen relativ gering ist. Außerdem wäre die gelöschte Nano-Kohlenstoff-Beschichtung auch von besseren Eigenschaften, die wertvoller sind als bisherige Lösungen.
Das neue Produkt zielt auf die Verbesserung der Produkteigenschaften sowie der Produktionseffizienz in der Großserienfertigung ab.
Within the PeroBOOST joint project, effective lead-free solar cells based on PerOwSkiT for energy system transformation are being researched along the value chain, consisting of starting materials, deposition processes, solar cell production, encapsulation and scaling processes.
The focus of AIXTRON's subproject is on the investigation of evaporation processes and equipment for the deposition of PerOwSkiT materials. An essential part of the work in PeroBOOST is the research of innovative test rigs and their scaling.
Philips Technologie GmbH, Germany / AIXTRON SE, Germany / Fraunhofer Institut für Lasertechnik ILT, Germany / RWTH, Germany/ ESI GmbH, Germany / LIMO Lissotschenko Mikrooptik GmbH, Germany
Funded by NRW Ministry for Innovation, Science, Research and Technology
The main objectives of the SiTaSol project are:
It should be noted that the project is focused on key drivers for realizing a cost competitive c-Si based tandem solar cell technology with outstanding efficiency potential well beyond the limits of single-junction devices.
Participants: AIXTRON SE, Germany / AIXTRON Ltd, United Kingdom / AZUR SPACE Solar Power GmbH, Germany / Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, Germany / JOHANNEUM RESEARCH Forschungsgesellschaft mbH, Austria / Leiden University, The Netherlands / Topsil Semiconductor Materials A/S, Denmark
SKYTOP aims empowering the combination of topological state both in real and reciprocal space through the use of Topological Materials (TM) such as Topological Insulators and/or Weyl semimetals and magnetic Skyrmions. The objective is to develop a Skyrmion-TM based platform and realize devices with intertwined electronic-spin and topology for enhanced efficiency and new functionality that could lead to a new paradigm for ultra-dense low power nanoelectronics. The three key objectives behind this vision are: elaborating TM materials for highly efficient spin current generation and magnetization control; developing a functional TM-Skyrmion platform pushing skyrmions one step forward; demonstrating the potential of this platform through the realization of two exemplary unconventional devices: a reconfigurable radio-frequency Skyrmion filter and a Skyrmion-gas based neuromorphic device. SKYTOP will also expected to open a route for exploitation of the emerging Weyl semimetal materials which are currently being investigated at the basic research level.
Participants: National Center for Scientific Research “Demokritos” (NCSRD, Greece, Coordinator) / Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS, France) / Thales (France) / Max-Planck-Insituts (MPI, Germany) / Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerch –Institute for Microelectronics and Microsystems (CNR-IMM, Italy) / Interuniversity Micro-Electronics Center (Imec, Belgium) / AIXTRON (Germany)
Funded by the European Commission
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Greece / University of Patras, Greece / University of Oxford, UK
University of Surrey, UK / University of Ioannina, Greece / Ecole Polytechnique, France / University of Stuttgart, Germany / Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, Germany / Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin, Germany / Centro Ricerche Fiat, Italy / Centre for Research and Technology – Hellas, Greece / Horiba Jobin Yvon, France / Advent Technologies, Greece / COATEMA, Germany / COMPUCON Greece / AIXTRON Germany / Konarka, Germany / Oxford Lasers Ltd., UK
Funded by NRW Ministry for Innovation, Science, Research and Technology
Novaled AG, Dresden, Germany / Sensient Imaging Technologies GmbH, Westfälische Wilhelms Universität Munster, Germany / Fraunhofer IPMS, Dresden, Germany / Symboled GmbH, Germany / Fresnel Optics GmbH, Germany / Hella KGaA, Germany / Hueck & Co, Germany / Siteco Beleuchtungstechnik GmbH, Germany / AEG-MIS mbH, Germany / University of Paderborn, Germany
Funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
Freiberger Compound Materials GmbH (FCM), Germany / Ferdinand-Braun-Institut für Höchstfrequenztechnik (FBH), Germany / University of Ulm, Germany / Nanoelectronic materials laboratory GmbH (NaMLab), Germany / Fraunhofer-Institut für Angewandte Festkörperphysik (IAF), Germany
Funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
Digitalisation and the underlying key technologies are an essential part of the answers to many of the daunting challenges that societies are facing today. The core enablers for this digital transformation are Electronic Components and Systems (ECS) used in applications, information highways and data centres. These information highways and data centres are the “backbone” of the entire digitalisation (5G) and electrical energy is the essential resource powering them. Due to the steadily increasing demand for data traffic, -storage and -processing, higher energy efficiency is inevitable. This is also true for energy conversion in terms of Smart Grids and Smart Mobility.
Whenever Silicon (Si) based semiconductor devices reach their limits, Gallium Nitride (GaN) based power semiconductors are promising candidates enabling much higher switching frequencies together with highest energy conversion efficiencies. Several FP7 and H2020 projects, among them the ECSEL pilot-line project “PowerBase”, have proven these assumptions and serve as the basis for the availability of the first generation of European GaN-devices. Besides proving the ability to achieve more efficient and more compact applications by the use of GaN devices, these projects made clearly evident, that the challenges of the GaN technologies have been heavily underestimated. This clearly results in the necessity to further investigate GaN and focus the research activities on size reduction, cost effectiveness and reliability while dealing with severe challenges:
Higher electric fields (Drift phenomena impacting lifetime),
Higher current densities (Electro-migration impacting lifetime),
Higher power densities (Thermal issues limiting the compactness potential).
These challenges are forming a “red brick wall” for the next GaN on Si technology generations that hampers shrinking of GaN devices which is necessary to improve their affordability and thus increase the range of potential applications.
The RIA project proposal UltimateGaN will overcome the red brick wall and focus on the next generation GaN technology particularly addressing six major objectives along and across the entire vertical value chain of power and radio frequency (RF) electronics:
Research on vertical power GaN processes and devices pushing performance beyond current state-of-the-art,
Research on lateral GaN technologies and devices to achieve best in class power density and efficiency while optimizing cost vs. performance,
Bringing GaN on Silicon RF performance close to GaN on Silicon Carbide thus enabling an affordable 5G rollout,
Breaking the packaging limits – size, electrical and thermal constraints - for high performance GaN power products,
Close the reliability and defect density gap for most innovative GaN devices,
Demonstrate European leadership in high performance power electronics and RF application domains.
The first three objectives are GaN technology related meant to explore the limits by alternative device and process concepts. The fourth objective will address the fact that the outstanding semiconductor performance of GaN can only be harvested when assembly/packaging, interconnections and enhanced thermal management are optimized in a holistic approach. The packages, fully utilizing the unique performance of power GaN devices, are not ready today and therefore require further investigation.
Crystal defect formation, especially at the GaN on Si-interface, is one of the major obstacles toward yield and reliability levels of competing Si based technologies. Therefore, another main objective addressed by UltimateGaN is to prevent these defects in the next generation GaN on Si devices.
The research results coming from the technology and packaging objectives will be used and demonstrated in the course of the last objective dealing with demanding fields of applications for these high performance devices. Amongst many others these application areas are:
Extremely efficient server power supply enabling lower energy consumption in data centres (5G: digitalisation backbone),
Benchmark Photovoltaic inverters in terms of efficiency and size to foster the use of renewable energies (Smart Grids: energy backbone),
Affordable 5G-Amplifiers up to mm-wave enabling a faster 5G rollout (5G: digitalisation backbone),
GaN enabled ultra-fast switching LIDAR application to enable autonomous driving (Smart Mobility),
Highest efficiency μ-Grid-converters and On-Board Chargers (Smart Grids; Smart Mobility).
The project UltimateGaN will enable highest efficiencies in the specific fields of the chosen applications and will lead to a significant reduction of the CO2 footprint of digitalisation, smart grids and smart mobility. To strengthen Europe’s role in the future of GaN business, significant effort must be spent to achieve affordable next generation GaN on Si transistors. As US and Asian companies are also heavily investing in this direction, it is of highest importance for Europe to speed up progress towards the next technology generations.
Participants: Austria - Austria Technologie & Systemtechnik AG, Infineon Technologies Austria
AG, Fronius International GmbH, CTR Carinthian Tech Research AG, Graz University of Technology |
Belgium - IMEC | Germany - AIXTRON SE, Infineon Technologies AG, Siltronic AG, Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, Fraunhofer Society for the Promotion of Applied Research e.V., Chemnitz University of Technology, NaMLab GmbH | Italy - Università degli studi di Padova, Infineon Technologies Italia, Universita di Milano Bicocca | Norway - Eltek AS | Slovakia - Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Nano Design SRO | Switzerland - Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne EPFL, Attolight SA | Spain - IKERLAN, For Optimal Renewable Energy, LEAR | Sweden - RISE Research Institutes of Sweden AB, SweGaN AB
Funded by the European Union’s Programme ECSEL JU (Electronic Component Systems for European Leadership Joint Undertaking) and co-funded by FFG (The Austrian Research Promotion Agency).
Corporate Research & Development
Prof. Dr. Michael Heuken
Vice President