Introduction:

Think of data centres, electric vehicles, and consumer electronics. What do they hold in common? They are all dependent on GaN. Industries are striving to reduce energy consumption and becoming more critical towards efficient power conversion and loss. What can be done better here? This has been a point of debate ever since the industries are witnessing growth in diversified applications and demand for more efficient and smaller electronic devices. In this article, we have proudly shared and explored a new invention that brings bags of benefits to the electronic industry. The news covers a greater expanse as it benefits a wide range of sectors such as telecommunications, automotive, aerospace, renewable energy and much more! Let's dive into the article!

What’s the news?

Tosoh Corporation is a Japanese chemical and specialty materials company known for its innovation in advanced materials, especially in sectors such as semiconductors, chemicals, and industrial materials. The company manufactures chemicals such as petrochemicals, chloralkali products, and other raw materials required for manufacturing industries.

The company has developed a strong presence in the global market in varied industries such as electronics, health care and environmental solutions. To further establish their roots, they are into Research and development.

As a result, Tosoh has introduced a new product that makes semiconductor manufacturing more affordable – Gallium Nitride (GaN) sputtering Target. This material is used in making GaN thin films for semiconductors. Currently, GaN thin films are manufactured using a costly method called Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) – which requires expensive equipment. Tosoh’s invention uses a more affordable and energy-efficient process called sputtering. The GaN films produced are cheaper and more energy efficient. Tosoh has developed high-purity GaN material using their innovative methods and has demonstrated crystal quality that is similar to the CVD-produced films.

This invention has drawn huge attention in the global market since GaN films are already utilized in LED lighting, and small and fast chargers, as it has very minimal energy loss than other materials. Therefore, you can never forget about GaN when you speak about energy-efficient applications such as data centres, micro-LEDs for wearable techs and so on.

The product has been tested already by the device makers and researchers and the shifting manufacturing methods have opened gateways for Tosoh to enter high-growth sectors. It has helped in varied ways such as lowering semiconductor production costs and contributing to energy savings. The new sputtering approach has created an impressive opportunity for the company in semiconductor manufacturing.

How innovation is a huge tick?

The old-school CVD process involves the manufacturing of thin films or coatings on a substrate by introducing reactive gases where chemical reactions take place on the surface of the substrates. The chemical reaction results in a solid film that gets deposited layer over layer.

The process produces high-quality films, no doubt. They bring out excellent uniformity and great control over the thickness and composition making them more desirable by the industries that use the films. Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) is considered the ideal process for producing dense, high purity and crystalline films which makes it a great choice in advanced semiconductor applications.

However, the process costs heavily as it requires specialized high-temperature equipment and precise gas handling. It also needs a complex setup and maintenance requirements. On the other hand, some of the gases and by-products are hazardous and require careful handling and disposal.

The new Sputtering method is not chemical deposition but physical which involves ejecting material from a target and depositing it onto a substrate in a vacuum chamber. The film material is exposed to a high energy ion beam (often argon gas) and the ion beam knocks off atoms from the target material and the atoms travel through the vacuum and deposit onto the substrate forming a thin film. Here in the process the equipment and materials are much less than the conventional process and the entire CVD setup. It also doesn’t need higher temperatures and works well for depositing metals, oxides and other materials to achieve high purity depending on the target material.

The unique approach of Tosoh for the development of a high-purity GaN sputtering target allows for the cost-effective production of GaN films without compromising on the crystalline quality. This innovation helps in the broader adoption of GaN in a wide range of applications like power electronics and wearable displays while cutting down manufacturing costs.

GaN bags huge application range:

GaN is being adopted across a wide range of sectors including telecommunications, automotive, aerospace and renewable energy. To be more specific, GaN-based devices are more utilized in high-frequency applications such as wireless communication, radar and much more which are essential for emerging global technologies such as 5G, satellite communications and so on.

India is focusing on infrastructure development related to 5G, the development of electric vehicles, and clean energy and also focusing on the enhancement of local manufacturing capabilities for advanced electronics.

Apart from these, India has been focusing on next-generation displays, such as micro- LEDs that are used in wearables and AR/VR devices. India is observing a growing consumer base for wearable and IoT products as micro-LED demand is booming in the industry. Since GaN-based micro-LEDs offer significant advantages in display quality and battery life, Indian consumers are attracted to these GaN-based high-performance and feature-rich electronics.

What Indian companies should observe?

India is working towards energy-efficient solutions and focusing on sustainability goals. The technology adopted by Tosoh’s GaN sputtering target can potentially bring down the energy consumption in the power electronics. The data centres, renewable energy initiatives, and EV infrastructure in India are expected to greatly benefit from the innovation. For instance, think of the extent these GaN-based devices could improve the performance of EV charging stations, solar inverters, and power management systems.

India is in the process of rolling out 5G and the introduction of more affordable GaN materials is seen as a timely advancement Considering the high-frequency handling capacity of GaN, there seems a greater opportunity for 5G infrastructure, where the world is moving towards faster speeds, smaller and more efficient components are becoming indispensable.

Indian consumer electronics market is also rapidly evolving and becoming more responsive to innovations. The consumer preferences are clear, which are for electronic gadgets or products that are better, faster, and more compact such as smartphones, chargers, and wearables. GaN materials play a vital role in manufacturing rapid chargers high-performance micro-LED displays and so on.

The core message:

Tosoh’s GaN sputtering target has been largely positive so far because it aligns with India’s ambitious plans for the development of high-tech manufacturing. Tosoh’s advancement in GaN film production highlights the significant bound toward cost-effective, sustainable and efficient semiconductor manufacturing. This innovation could have a great impact on the Indian manufacturing sector in the long run. Especially, the cost-effective technologies, GaN think films could give Indian electronics manufacturers an edge in the market. Overall, Tosoh’s innovation is considered a great opportunity for India to develop their self-reliance in sourcing high-quality semiconductor materials, and to further explore advanced materials.