Powdec Develops 6kV GaN Power Transistor

Yokohama based gallium nitride semiconductor epitaxial wafer maker, Powdec, in which Furukawa has interest, announced the firm developed new gallium nitride transistor as material of semiconductor with University of Sheffield in UK. They succeeded in developing transistor with more than 6 kilovolt of high voltage resistance along with suppressing current collapse performance through the new polarization junction for the gate.

Power semiconductor is used for power supply of motor and server and solar light power generator. Higher performance of the semiconductor contributes to lower electricity loss in power supply. Semiconductor industry tries to develop high performance gallium nitride and silicon carbide semiconductor when the industry cannot improve performance for prevailing silicon semiconductor.

Powdec and University of Sheffield succeeded in development of technology to reduce electric current loss through 3 layered polarization junction. The junction with gallium nitride-aluminium gallium nitride-gallium nitride layers has same level of voltage resistance as super junction for silicon semiconductor while the new junction has better performance than hetero junction field effect transistor for gallium nitride based semiconductor.