China non ferrous furnace Manufacturers, Suppliers, Factory

Worldwide sales of semiconductor manufacturing equipment increased 5 percent from $102.6 billion in 2021 to an all-time record of $107.6 billion last year, SEMI, the industry association representing the global electronics design and manufacturing supply chain.

The tray (base) that supports SiC wafers, also known as a "susceptor," is a core component of semiconductor manufacturing equipment. And what exactly is this susceptor that carries the wafers?

In the semiconductor industry, quartz is widely used, and high-purity quartz products are even more important consumables in wafer production. The production of silicon single crystal crucibles, crystal boats, diffusion furnace core tubes, and other quartz components must use high-purity quartz glass products.

GaN materials gained prominence following the awarding of the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics for blue LEDs. Initially entering the public eye through fast-charging applications in consumer electronics, GaN-based power amplifiers and RF devices have also quietly emerged as critical components in 5G base stations. In recent years, GaN-based automotive-grade power devices have shown promise, potentially opening new growth avenues for GaN material applications.

Within the silicon carbide (SiC) industry chain, substrate suppliers hold significant leverage, primarily due to value distribution. SiC substrates account for 47% of the total value, followed by epitaxial layers at 23%, while device design and manufacturing constitute the remaining 30%. This inverted value chain stems from the high technological barriers inherent to substrate and epitaxial layer production. Three major challenges plague SiC substrate growth: stringent growth conditions, slow growth rates, and demanding crystallographic requirements. These complexities contribute to increased processing difficulty, ultimately resulting in low product yields and high costs. Furthermore, the epitaxial layer’s thickness and doping concentration are critical parameters directly impacting the final device performance.

SiC substrates are the most crucial component in the silicon carbide industry, accounting for nearly 50% of its value. Without SiC substrates, it is impossible to manufacture SiC devices, making them the essential material foundation.