China Electronics Technology Group Corporation's SiC epitaxial growth furnace continues to be shipped, providing assistance to the development of the domestic semiconductor industry

Recently, China Electronics Technology Group Corporation's 48th Research Institute (referred to as "CETC 48th Institute") successfully shipped nearly a hundred units of their self-developed SiC epitaxial growth furnace. With its stable performance, the furnace has garnered multiple market orders and received positive feedback from customers.

As one of the core equipment for manufacturing third-generation semiconductor SiC devices, the SiC epitaxial growth furnace plays a crucial role in the entire industry chain, it serves as a vital link in the production process SiC is an ideal material for producing high-temperature, high-frequency, and high-power electronic devices, and it has a wide range of applications in various fields such as new energy vehicles, photovoltaics, high-voltage power transmission and distribution, and smart grids.

The SiC epitaxial growth furnace is a core equipment used in the production of SiC epitaxial wafers. These wafers are essential materials for manufacturing SiC power devices, which find wide applications in various fields such as new energy vehicles, rail transportation, industrial control, and smart grids. For a long time, the core technology of this equipment has always been monopolized by some of foreign enterprises.

After years of technological breakthroughs, the research and development team at CETC 48th Institute has successfully overcome multiple key technologies and developed a SiC epitaxial growth furnace with independent intellectual property rights. The following are the key time nodes of SiC epitaxial furnaces developed by CETC 48th institute:

-On June 29, 2023, CETC 48th institute announced that its self-developed 8-inch SiC epitaxial equipment made its debut and had completed the first round of process verification.

In October 2023, CETC 48th Institute concentratedly shipped 20 sets of SiC epitaxial equipment, marking the beginning of the "100-day Battle" after the double holiday period.

-In January 2024, 40 SiC epitaxial furnaces independently developed by CETC 48th institute were successfully stationed at the customer site. Their after-sales service team will make scientific plans and overall arrangements, and do a good job in the follow-up installation and commissioning of the equipment to ensure the early delivery and acceptance of the equipment.

The equipment adopts advanced design concepts and manufacturing processes, offering advantages such as excellent uniformity of epitaxial layer thickness, fast growth rate, and low cost. Its key technical indicators have reached international advanced levels.

Fig. 1: Model of 8-inch SiC epitaxial furnace in CETC 48th institutes

Compared with other competing products in the market, China Electronics SiC epitaxial furnace has the following advantages:

-Leading technology: The technology independently developed by CETC has higher efficiency and stability.

-Reliable performance: The equipment has stable performance and can meet the high-quality requirements of customers.

-Wide application: It is suitable for various fields, such as new energy vehicles, photovoltaic industry, etc.

With the continuous development of SiC epitaxial growth furnace technology and the expanding application areas, the market prospects for China Electronics Technology Group Corporation's SiC epitaxial growth furnace technology will become even more promising.

China exportsemi net recommend several competitive products of SiC epitaxial furnace of CETC Branch on the market at present. These products have their own characteristics and advantages:

-Pe106 from LPE Company, Italy: the SiC epitaxial growth systems typically employ an air-floating driven rotation mechanism for growing large-sized wafers. This design allows for excellent intra-wafer uniformity, high growth rates, shorter epitaxial cycles, and good consistency both within a wafer and between different furnace runs.

-AIXG5WWC (8 × 150mm) and G10-SiC (9 × 150mm or 6 × 200mm) series epitaxial equipment of AIXTRON Company, Germany: The planetary arrangement base method is characterized by single-furnace growth of multiple wafers simultaneously, resulting in higher production efficiency.

-The 6-inch dual-wafer SiC epitaxial equipment developed by JINGSHENG Mechatronics incorporates modifications to the graphite components of the reaction chamber. It adopts a stacked configuration, allowing for the growth of two wafers in a single furnace. The upper and lower layers of process gases can be independently controlled, with a temperature difference of ≤5℃, effectively compensating for the limited production capacity of single-wafer horizontal epitaxial furnaces.

CETC state that it will further increase investment in research and development, continuously improve the performance and quality of SiC epitaxial furnaces, and make greater contributions to the development of China's semiconductor industry. At the same time, China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC) is actively promoting the industrial application of SiC epitaxial growth furnaces. They are engaging in deep cooperation with domestic semiconductor companies to jointly drive the development of China's semiconductor industry.