Silicon carbide (SiC) is a third-generation compound semiconductor material. The cornerstone of the semiconductor industry is the chip, and the core materials used to make chips are divided into the first generation of semiconductor materials (mostly high-purity silicon, which is widely used today), the second generation of compound semiconductor materials (gallium arsenide and indium phosphide), and the third generation of compound semiconductor materials (silicon carbide and gallium nitride). Silicon carbide will be the most widely used basic material for making semiconductor chips in the future because of its superior physical properties: high forbidden band width (corresponding to high breakdown electric field and high power density), high electrical conductivity, and high thermal conductivity.
Industry Competition
From the perspective of the industry pattern, the current global SiC industry pattern presents a three-legged situation of the United States, Europe and Japan. The U.S. is the dominant player in the global SiC market, accounting for 70% to 80% of global SiC production, and CREE has a 60% market share in the silicon carbide wafer market; Europe has a complete SiC substrate, epitaxy, device and application industry chain, and has a strong voice in the global power electronics market; Japan is the absolute leader in equipment and module development.
Global competition pattern of silicon carbide
The high technology threshold has led to the third generation semiconductor material market monopolized by Japanese, American and European oligopolies, and domestic enterprises are mainly 4-inch in terms of SiC substrates. At present, domestic companies have developed 6-inch conductive SiC substrates and high-purity semi-insulated SiC substrates. Shandong Tianyue Company, Beijing Tianke Heda Company and Hebei Tongguang Crystal Company have cooperated with Shandong University, the Institute of Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Semiconductors of the Chinese Academy of Sciences to form an independent technology system in SiC single crystal substrate technology. At present, domestic mass production of 4-inch substrates has been achieved; meanwhile, Shandong Tianyue, Tianke Heda, Hebei Tongguang and Zhongke Energy-saving have completed the development of 6-inch substrates; CEC has successfully developed 6-inch semi-insulated substrates.
China’s silicon carbide substrate project has nearly 30
Silicon carbide is the most mature development of the third generation of semiconductor materials, with a large band width, high device limit operating temperature, high critical breakdown electric field strength, high thermal conductivity and other significant performance advantages in electric vehicles, power, military, aerospace and other fields with broad market prospects.
In recent years, with the construction of 5G base stations and the hot sales of Tesla MODEL 3 and BYD Han, the market for silicon carbide substrates has been booming. According to China Electronic Materials Industry Association Semiconductor Materials Branch statistics China’s enterprises engaged in the development of silicon carbide substrates have been 30 (excluding CEC 46, silicate, Zhejiang University and Tianjin Polytechnic University and other pure research institutions), in recent years, the total planning investment of these units has exceeded 30 billion yuan, the total planning capacity has exceeded 1.8 million pieces / year.
Chinese silicon carbide chip companies
CETC Semiconductor Materials Co., Ltd
CETC Semiconductor Materials Co., Ltd was established on March 28, 2019, with a registered capital of 100,000,000 RMB. The 300 sets of single crystal production equipment in the first phase of the silicon carbide industrial base of Shanxi Shuoke Crystal Co., Ltd. of the company has an annual production capacity of 75,000 pieces of silicon carbide single crystal substrate and an annual revenue of more than 300 million RMB. After the completion of the project, it will have an annual production capacity of 100,000 pieces of 4-6 inch N-type silicon carbide single crystal wafers and 50,000 pieces of 4-6 inch high purity semi-insulated silicon carbide single crystal wafers, with an annual output value of 1 billion yuan.
Tianke Heda
Beijing Tianke Heda Semiconductor Co., Ltd. was established in September 2006 by Xinjiang Tianfu Group and the Institute of Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and is a high-tech enterprise specializing in the R&D, production and sales of third-generation silicon carbide (SiC) wafers. The headquarter company is located in Beijing Daxing District Biomedical Base, with a R&D center and a full set of SiC wafer production base integrating crystal growth – crystal processing – wafer processing – cleaning and testing; A wholly-owned subsidiary, Xinjiang Tianke Heda Blue Light Semiconductor Co., Ltd. is located in Shihezi City, Xinjiang, and is mainly engaged in the growth of silicon carbide crystals.
Shandong Tianyue
Founded in November 2010, Shandong Tianyue Advanced Technology Co., Ltd. is a leading domestic manufacturer of broadband (third generation) semiconductor substrate materials, mainly engaged in the development, production and sales of silicon carbide substrates, products can be widely used in power electronics, microwave electronics, optoelectronics and other fields. From August 2019 to November 2020, Shandong Tianyue has gone through five rounds of financing. in December 2020, Shandong Tianyue announced its initial public offering and listing for counseling.
Zhongke Steel Research
Zhongke Steel Research is a new type of central enterprise holding mixed ownership enterprise approved by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council in 2016. In the next three to five years, CCSR will build a joint venture with its strategic partners, Guohong Zhongyu Technology Development Co. The company is a group of enterprises that gather third-generation semiconductor materials and their application technologies and products, represented by silicon carbide semiconductor materials.
Based on the introduction of international first-class silicon carbide long crystal process technology and equipment such as Japanese sublimation method (PVT), high-temperature chemical vapor deposition method (HTCVD) and Russian resistance heating sublimation method, Zhongke Steel Research and Guohong Huaye, through three years of technology digestion, absorption and reinvention, through process modeling, numerical simulation, equipment integration, process testing and other aspects of systematic work, in the silicon carbide long crystal special equipment, the Through systematic work in process modeling, numerical simulation, equipment integration and process testing, we have made great progress in silicon carbide long crystal special equipment, silicon carbide high purity raw material synthesis, silicon carbide single crystal growth and substrate processing technology, and formed a complete process technology system represented by silicon carbide single crystal growth core process technology with independent intellectual property rights.
Hypersics
Hypersics Semiconductor Co Ltd is a new third generation semiconductor company established in 2019.
In 2020, Jiangsu Hypersics signed a contract with Nanjing Jiangbei New District. The company plans to achieve an annual production capacity of 30,000 pieces of 6-inch silicon carbide substrates within three years, and will further develop SiC cutting and grinding and polishing processes on the basis of SiC substrate products in the future to build a benchmark enterprise in the domestic SiC industry.
In addition, according to its official website, the company is also very interested in the technical route of preparing SiC by HTCVD method. Currently, it has developed HTCVD silicon carbide (SiC) single crystal growth equipment.
LuXiao Technology
Listed company LUXIAO Technology is making a big move into the SiC substrate industry in recent years.
Silicon carbide is a key material for high performance and high frequency HEMT devices in the 5G field, and the company has mastered the core technology of manufacturing silicon carbide amphibole furnaces. LUXIAO Technology and/or its holding company will set the limit of 200 silicon carbide long crystal furnaces for the industrialization project of silicon carbide led by Guohong Zhongyu, with the total equipment purchase amount of about 300 million RMB.
National key high-tech enterprises, China Machinery Top 500, one of the most growing enterprises in Zhejiang Province, under the jurisdiction of more than ten subsidiaries. The enterprise has passed ISO9001, IATF16949, ISO14001, ISO10012 system certification, and all kinds of electromagnetic wire products have passed the product quality certification of “China Fangyuan Mark Certification Center” and the U.S. UL safety certification, and have been tested by SGS to meet RoHS requirements. For many years, the company has been awarded the honorary titles of “AAA Grade Credit”, “Advanced Enterprise of Clean Production” and “Environmentally Friendly Enterprise of Shaoxing City”, etc.
Anhui Microchip
Anhui Microchip Changjiang Semiconductor Materials Co., Ltd. is a subsidiary of Shanghai Shenhe Thermomagnetic Electronics Co. The company’s SiC project is located in Tongling Economic Development Zone, with an investment of 1.350 billion RMB, covering an area of 100 mu and a new plant building with a usable area of 32,000 square meters, including silicon carbide crystal growth workshop, wafer processing workshop, R&D center, power plant, auxiliary plant, etc.
The project is based on energy saving and environmental protection, and the 4&6 inch process is compatible with the automated production line as the implementation point, the construction period is 4 years, the project starts from October 2020 to October 2024, the plan is to complete the plant construction and equipment installation and commissioning in 3 quarters of 2021, and complete the pilot test and start trial sales at the end of December 2021, the production load is 33%, 67% and 100% respectively in the first 3 years after the production. The annual production capacity is expected to be 30,000 pieces of 4-inch silicon carbide wafers and 120,000 pieces of 6-inch silicon carbide wafers after reaching.
Nansha Wafer
Nansha Wafer is a high-tech enterprise focusing on third-generation semiconductor silicon carbide single crystal materials and related substrate wafers and epitaxial wafers. The company is led by Dr. Wang Yaohao, former Vice President of Shenzhen Third Generation Semiconductor Research Institute, and introduces Professor Xu Xiangang from Shandong University as the leader to carry out the R&D, pilot testing and subsequent mass production of the third generation semiconductor material – silicon carbide single crystal material.
In July 2020, the company signed a contract with Guangzhou Nansha District, with a planned investment of 900 million yuan and an annual output of 200,000 wafers of various substrates and epitaxial wafers after reaching production.
Sanan Optoelectronics
As a leading LED enterprise three Ann photoelectric silicon carbide substrate material development attaches great importance to the layout of all aspects of the work began very early. According to internal sources, at present, three Ann photoelectric internal R & D team in parallel research silicon carbide substrate preparation technology.
Henan Superior Abrasives
Established in 2001, Henan Superior Abrasives is a leading supplier of silicon carbide and related products in China. As a silicon carbide chip upstream enterprise, we have been steadily supplying high quality silicon carbide raw materials to domestic and foreign customers for more than 20 years. We have a professional production and sales team and have established cooperation with more than 100 countries around the world, with markets covering USA, Canada, Middle East, Russia, Spain, South Africa, Southeast Asia, etc.. We enjoy a high reputation in machinery, metallurgy, foundry, electronics and related industries.
