The long journey from crystal growth to power devices, the role of material development for III-nitride semiconductors

Material quality and properties are crucial for reliable and high-performance devices. However, the way from a grown crystal to a wafer and from bare wafers to a device is long. Many problems can occur along that path related to either materials or technology issues. For the new semiconductor materials the wish for material perfection and availability is high but at the same time materials related problems in a device need to be resolved. In this work, gallium nitride as a semiconductor material for power electronics is discussed in terms of its current applicability, itâs potential and recent shortcomings. A review of the way from crystal growth to the wafer, ready for device fabrication, is given and by that, the bow will be spanned from materials properties to device performance. This work gives an overview of the large amount of interdependent parameters and subtle aspects and challenges in the daily work of material development for semiconductor-based applications.