EpiGaN And SunEdison Semiconductor Enter Into A Collaboration To Serve GaN-On-Si Customers Globally

EpiGaN, the leading European supplier of commercial grade 6- and 8-inch GaN-on-Silicon epi-wafers for 600-V HEMT (High Electron Mobility Transistor) power semiconductors, and SunEdison Semiconductor, a leading manufacturer of silicon substrates for semiconductor manufacturing, have signed a global representation agreement for EpiGaN's GaN-on-Si epi wafers.

The terms of the global representation and distribution agreement between EpiGaN and SunEdison Semiconductor grant SunEdison Semiconductor exclusive rights for the marketing and sales of EpiGaN’s 150mm and 200mm GaN-on-Si Epiwafers for power switching applications, substantially strengthening EpiGaN's worldwide reach and transition EpiGaN into a global GaN epiwafer supplier.

EpiGaN, located in Hasselt, Belgium, is a global player in developing III/V materials and delivers GaN-on-Si epi-wafers to semiconductor device manufacturers worldwide. EpiGaN's product portfolio covers power switching applications up to 650V as well as RF power devices for millimeter-wave applications. EpiGaN is today developing and sampling GaN structures on 200mm Si substrates for power switching devices to enable its customers to successfully position themselves in rapidly growing market segments.

A key concept of EpiGaN's advanced technology base is the in-situ SiN cap layer, which provides best-in-class passivation properties and superior device reliability. The use of in-situ SiN allows the use of pure AlN layers as barrier material with the resulting heterostructures having sheet resistance values below 300 Ohm/sq.

Combining EpiGaN’s differentiating GaN-on-Si technology with SunEdison Semiconductor’s market presence and expertise will create a new one-stop solution for IDMs active in next-generation GaN power technology on Si substrates.

"This new agreement with a well established supplier such as SunEdison Semiconductor, with its excellent track record in the power electronics industry, will enable us to provide additional value to our global customer base through our superior GaN-on-Si products, customer services & technical support," said Dr Marianne Germain, cofounder and CEO of EpiGaN.

“We are proud to collaborate with the EpiGaN team,” commented Shaker Sadasivam, SunEdison Semiconductor’s President and CEO. "EpiGaN’s strong technology capability compliments our own, and we look forward to further developing this promising market together.”

About EpiGaN
EpiGaN was formed in 2010 by Drs Marianne Germain, CEO, Joff Derluyn, CTO, and Stefan Degroote, COO, as a spin-off of Belgian micro and nano-tech research organization imec. EpiGaN provides industry-leading III-nitride epitaxial material solutions for top-performance devices, offering device manufacturers early access to a unique and proven GaN/Si and GaN/SiC technology. Key applications are power supplies for consumer electronics, AC drives, UPS systems, hybrid electric vehicles, solar inverters, smart grid applications, RF power systems for communications base stations. In 2011, Robert Bosch Venture Capital, Capricorn CleanTech Fund and LRM invested in EpiGaN for the installation of a state-of-the-art wafer production facility. For more information, visit www.epigan.com