Wide bandgap materials, such as Gallium Nitride GaN) and Silicon Carbide SiC) are very promising for light-emitting diodes LEDs) and power electronics. These materials are extremely hard and difficult to machine and very expensive. The lack of good quality bulk GaN substrates with a smooth surface at a reasonable price is hampering the development of vertical devices. OptiCOMP has developed a rapid thinning technique by lifting-off a 20 70 m thick layer from the surface within a fraction of a second, which leaves the surface shiny and smooth. The savings in lapping and polishing add up to 60%, when our technique is incorporated in the crystal manufacturing process. Our technology also has application for backside thinning where the savings are even larger. OptiCOMP will acquire the substrate from the crystal manufacturer, as sliced from boule and will apply its proprietary technique to thin the wafer and smooth the surface, and will return the wafer to the crystal grower, who will continue smoothing it to become epi -ready. OptiCOMP will measure the defects created by its rapid thinning technique. OptiCOMP will acquire a GaN or SiC wafer with pre-fabricated devices and will apply its proprietary technique to thin the backside of the wafer. Major savings in the cost of the wafer will result from the incorporation of OptiCOMPs technique in the mainstream substrate and chip fabrication process. GaN has outstanding properties for switching at high frequencies, while SiC is best known for its high temperature abilities. They are the most prominent candidates to replace Si for power applications. At the present time, SiC is considered to offer the best trade-off between properties and commercial maturity. Nevertheless, it is generally agreed upon that both materials have tremendous potential. The total market for GaN LEDs is estimated about $ 14 B in 2020 according to Yole and Strategies Unlimited, with a GaN and SiC substrate penetration of about 4%. The market for substrates is usually estimated at about 10% of the device market, i.e. $ 56 Million. A similar market exists for power devices.
