AZUR SPACE Acquires ALLOS Semiconductors’ Power Electronics Business
AZUR SPACE utilizes the benefits of GaN-on-Sic Technology from ALLOS Semiconductor to stay competitive in the high power electronics market.
ALLOS Semiconductors is a global engineering and consulting company for clients in the semiconductor industry. The group develops gallium nitride on silicon (GaN-on-Si) technology through providing technology transfer support, license provision, and customer-tailored specialist solutions.
ALLOS’ technology centers on the generation of state-of-the-art technology with its GaN-on-Si wafer epitaxy being built through Metalorganic vapor-phase epitaxy and metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOVPE/MOCVD).
AZUR SPACE Solar Power is a world leader in the development and production of multi-junction solar cells for space photovoltaic (PV) and terrestrial concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) applications. Recently, the company acquired ALLOS’ high-power electronics and RF business.
200 mm GaN-on-Si epiwafer example for HPE application to be supplied by AZUR SPACE based on ALLOS’ technology. Image courtesy of ALLOS.
The Value of GaN-on-Silicon
Within the semiconductor industry, GaN is fast spreading as the next best material for changing the way electric or hybrid vehicles are powered, how they are charged, the use of renewable energies, server farms, electric motors, and many other high power electronics (HPE) applications.
GaN-on-Si provides a number of technological benefits. For instance, it is far less costly compared to sapphire-based or other compound semiconductor materials. Gan-on-Si is cheaper per area and allows for greater wafer diameter. This supports the usage of standard silicon wafer processing lines. The use of this technology can reduce production costs, improve device switching frequency, and encourage the use of more energy-efficient lighting across a range of applications and markets.
AZUR Space and the GaN-on-Si Epiwafer Market
With the steady growth of the GaN-on-Si market, AZUR seized the opportunity to evolve its solutions in parallel. In addition to supplying this new and improved technology, AZUR is also growing in its expertise of GaAs for the HPE market.
“We are the leading provider of high-efficiency multijunction space solar cells based on III-V epitaxy with a capacity of 500 000 wafers/year and with multiple MOCVD reactors running 24/7”, stated CEO of AZUR Space, Juergen Heizmann in a recent news release. “Our skills and know-how are a perfect match to the requirements of the quickly emerging III-V HPE epiwafer market.”
At present, the HPE market continues to grow and so AZUR’s move toward the use of ALLOS’ GaN-on-Si technology will no doubt bolster advances in the development of next-generation power solutions.
With business models differing between HPE and micro-LED markets, Burkhard Slischka, co-founder and CEO of ALLOS, believes that it will be beneficial for ALLOS to focus its attention on one.
“ALLOS can now fully focus on the rapidly evolving microLED market where our technology provides huge yield and cost advantages throughout the entire value chain and where we have direct access to the companies driving the development,” Slischka said.
