Why Gallium Nitride (GaN)?
Whats Next ?
Gallium nitride (GaN) has turned into the
new industry buzzword. Making few think
-When ? Why is important? What is it?
Background:
GaN is typically grown as a semiconductor with
wurtzitic crystalline structure, but can also exist
as a zinc blende (also known as the 63 polytype
or sphalerite) or rock salt structure.
Gallium Nitride (GaN)-Physical Form
The first GaN crystal was synthesized in 1932,
followed by first p-type GaN in 1961.The first
GaN LED was created in 1971. Key historical
evolutions of GaN came in the early 1990s,
when research scientists made remarkable
advancements in GaN-based LED materials by
developing high bright blue LEDs and then,
later, white LEDs.
GaN on silicon: This approach yields lower
performance than either of the alternatives but
has the potential advantage of using the worlds
low-cost, large-wafer silicon CMOS and power
silicon foundries. As a result, it will soon be
price-competitive with existing silicon and
GaAs.
-Mukul Khadke
GaN on diamond: Its not easy to combine
these two materials, but the benefits are
enormous: Industrial diamond has the highest
thermal conductivity (and thus is best able to
remove heat) of any material on Earth.
Replacing SiC, silicon, or other substrate
materials with diamond allows the thermal
conductivity benefits of diamond to be realized
very close to the active area of the device.
GaN on SiC: GaNs highest power levels and
other performance metrics over SiC, will ensure
its place in the most demanding applications.
These basic crystal parameters into a
comparison of device performance is to
calculate the best theoretical performance
achievable for each of the three candidates. For
power devices, there are many characteristics
that matter in the variety of power conversion
systems available today. Five of the most
important are: conduction efficiency(on-
resistance), breakdown voltage, size, switching
efficiency, and cost.

Current Scenario
Although the GaN adoption rate has been slow
in the RF realm, markets such as radar, military,
and power industry have jumped to the forefront
of using GaN. New products and application
breakthroughs using GaN can be heard at major
scale in research and technological
advancements. GaN is unique compared to other
technologies because it can not only be used to
emit bright light via its form of a light emitting
diode (LED), it can also be used in next-
generation semiconductor material with high
power, high frequency, wide bandwidth, and at
high-temperature operation.
GaN also has received the industrys Green
Technology Label because of its ability to
provide lower product current consumption
and improved thermal management while
maintaining performance levels equal to or
superior to competing semiconductor
technologies.
Designing a totally new product with these
semiconductor materials will induce R&D
expenses that must be compensated by adding
value at the system level. This could include
improving cost, size, and operating conditions
compared with regular silicon solutions. To
capture this added value, an integrator will get
the full benefit from the increased operating
frequency and temperature of wide-bandgap
(WBG) devices.
WHATS NEXT? (Future)
Of the key end-use industries utilizing GaN
semiconductor devices, applications across the
defense and aerospace industry are the dominant
contributor to the overall market revenue
presently. In 2017, this end-use segment
accounted for a share of more than 30% of the
overall market. GaN-based transistors find
enormous demand across a variety of
applications in the defense industry.
Applications such as electronic warfare, radar
communication, and improvised explosive
device (IED) jammers are expected to lead to a
sustainable rise in demand for GaN
semiconductor devices in the sector in the next
few years as well. Consistently rising defense
budgets across developed and developing
economies will help fortify the trend.
New application areas and potential markets for
the usage of GaN semiconductors are being
explored across the globe, which is expected to
give momentum to the market in the near future.
The medical industry, for instance, is expected
to emerge as an eminent end-user of the market
in the near future. Recent discoveries, such as
the confirmation that GaN can be safely used in
biomedical implants, will aid markets
development in this direction. However, in the
future, the market will not be as dominated by
silicon-based devices as it is today, but more
diversified. A variety of devices - including
silicon, GaN, SiC and others that are yet to be
developed - will find their own niches.