GaNonSiC

GaN on SiC, often abbreviated GaNonSiC, refers to gallium nitride devices that are grown on silicon carbide substrates. This platform leverages the wide bandgap and high breakdown field of GaN together with the high thermal conductivity and robustness of SiC, enabling devices that operate at high voltages, high temperatures, and high frequencies.

Growth and structure typically involve epitaxial deposition of GaN on a single-crystal SiC wafer, using techniques such as metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) or hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE). A thin GaN buffer layer and additional engineered layers help accommodate lattice and thermal expansion differences between GaN and SiC, reducing defect densities. Common substrate orientations include the c-plane of SiC, which influences film quality and device performance. The resulting heterostructures are widely used to form GaN-based high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) and other power or RF devices.

Key properties include the inherent advantages of GaN—a wide bandgap around 3.4 eV, high electron mobility, and strong polarity effects—combined with SiC’s excellent thermal conductivity and chemical stability. This combination supports high current densities, low on-resistance, and better thermal management, which are important for reliable operation in power converters, RF amplifiers, base stations, and electric vehicle charging components. Lattice mismatch and dislocations remain considerations, influencing performance and manufacturing costs.

Applications span high-frequency communication, radar, solid-state power electronics, and certain optoelectronic devices where GaN’s properties are beneficial and effective heat sinking is required. Ongoing research focuses on reducing defects, lowering costs, and expanding wafer sizes to improve manufacturability.