Australian technology innovator BluGlass Limited recently announced that it has attained unique partnership with Griffith University and the Innovative Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (IMCRC) to develop next-generation Gallium Nitride (GaN) transistors called “High Performance Normally OFF GaN High Electron Mobility Transistors (HEMT)”.
BluGlass Managing Director Giles Bourne commented: “Today, electronics manufacturers face high cost barriers for higher performing materials. The research project aims to overcome those industry challenges.”
According to the release, the project intends to deliver a step-change transistor which will lead the way for power electronics manufacturing. It combines two Australian enabling technologies: BluGlass’ Remote Plasma Chemical Vapour Deposition (RPCVD), a deposition technology with revolutionary low temperature approach for the manufacture of semiconductor materials; and Griffith University’s Queensland Microtechnology Facility (QMF) Atomically Smooth SiC on large Si (SiC on Si) wafers, providing chemical barrier and template for the epitaxial growth of nitride layers that helps to address the challenges of defectivity and long-term device reliability.
Further, it will promise a positive and stable threshold voltage, low on-resistance and high breakdown field, as the Australian technology was supported with BluGlass’ two-year, $600,000 cash investment co-funded research project with Griffith University.
“Griffith welcomes this innovative partnership which highlights the university’s commitment to advancing technology through industry collaborations, further establishing us as world-leaders in cutting-edge technology and translational research,” said Senior Deputy Vice Chancellor Professor Ned Pankhurst.
IMCRC Managing Director and CEO David Chuter also said that this project has the potential of creating high value IP and industry transformative enabling foundry technologies which could lead to the generation of a local semiconductor wafer economy.
“Addressing industry challenges and combining key enabling technologies, we believe this project can boost the commercial value of the sector, and create new opportunities, in Australia and into global value chains,” he concluded.
Image Credit: www.bluglass.com.au
