DB HiTek Bets on 8-Inch SiC Foundry, Secures 1,200V MOSFET Reliability
TECHWORLD ·
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DB HiTek has been developing 8-inch SiC process technology and building SiC foundry services, and it has completed reliability verification and turnkey process setup for its 8-inch wafer-based 1,200V SiC MOSFET process.
The company is currently offering its 1st- and 2nd-generation 1,200V SiC MOSFET PDKs and plans to add a 3rd-generation PDK in November.
DB HiTek plans to continue preparing for 8-inch SiC mass production in 2027, launch first in the third quarter of this year, and offer services to all customers starting in the second quarter of 2027.
Silicon carbide, or SiC, delivers better performance than conventional silicon (Si) in high-temperature, high-voltage environments, and its applications are expanding to electric vehicles, renewable energy, industrial power equipment and other areas amid demand for highly efficient, high-voltage power conversion.
The mainstream of the SiC market is currently 6-inch wafers, but the industry is moving to 8-inch wafers to improve productivity and cut manufacturing costs.
In response to these market changes, DB HiTek has been developing 8-inch SiC process technology and building SiC foundry services, and it has advanced SiC process technology optimized for high-power MOSFETs to secure electrical characteristics and reliability.
DB HiTek has completed reliability verification of its 1,200V SiC MOSFET process based on 8-inch wafers and established a turnkey 1,200V SiC foundry process based on 8-inch wafers. It is also accelerating the expansion of its 8-inch SiC foundry business by putting in place a foundry service system that can support design, manufacturing, characterization and reliability verification.
DB HiTek said it has secured the core technology for its 8-inch SiC foundry business and also established a foundation for mass production by completing process reliability verification.
To support customers developing SiC products, DB HiTek is offering its in-house 1st-generation 1,200V SiC MOSFET PDK and 2nd-generation 1,200V SiC MOSFET PDK, and it said it plans to add a 3rd-generation PDK in November. A PDK is a tool that helps semiconductor designers develop products tailored to foundry processes by providing process characteristics information and design-related information.
DB HiTek expects the PDK to reduce customers' initial development burden, bring forward the timing of prototype production, and shorten product development cycles by more than one year.
The 2nd-generation process currently being offered delivers electrical characteristics of no more than 2.5mΩ·cm² in specific resistance (Rsp) and 3V or higher in threshold voltage (Vth) under a gate voltage (Vgs(on)) condition of 18V. This 2nd-generation process has also completed reliability verification, a technical barrier to entry.
For the 3rd-generation process set to be unveiled in November, DB HiTek set targets of no more than 2.3mΩ·cm² in specific resistance under the same 18V gate voltage condition and SCWT of 2.5μs or more in SCSOA. The company plans to provide the PDK to customers after verifying those targets.
A DB HiTek official said the completion of reliability verification for the 1,200V SiC MOSFET process means the company has secured key process technology and mass production capabilities for the world's first 8-inch SiC foundry service. The official added that the company plans to continue preparing for 8-inch SiC mass production in 2027, pursue market leadership and steadily expand its competitiveness in the foundry market for next-generation power semiconductors.
DB HiTek plans to initially launch the service for foundry customers it has worked with for many years in the third quarter of this year, and it plans to complete process readiness by then. After that, it will expand the scope and provide the service to all customers starting in the second quarter of 2027.
Source: TECHWORLD · Park Kyu-chan
Original: https://www.epnc.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=406714
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Source: TECHWORLD
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