The Japan Fine Ceramics Center (JFCC) has announced the development of a three-dimensional defect imaging technology for next-generation gallium nitride (GaN) power semiconductors as a result of joint research with Ceramicforum Co., Ltd. and Mie University.

In this research, a technology was developed to visualize defects in GaN crystals three-dimensionally using the Crystalline Tester® CP1 phase contrast polarization microscope system developed by Ceramicforum.

The Crystalline Tester® CP1 is a phase contrast polarization microscope for wide-bandgap semiconductors that combines phase contrast microscopy and polarization microscopy. This technology enables highly accurate identification of the in-plane distribution and depth-direction distribution of dislocations within crystals and is expected to contribute to improving the quality of GaN crystals as well as the performance and reliability of GaN power devices.

Gallium nitride (GaN) is expected to be used in a wide range of fields, including conductive free-standing substrates for applications ranging from blue LEDs and chargers for PCs and other devices to automotive inverters, as well as thin-film epitaxial layers deposited on semi-insulating SiC substrates for applications such as mobile base stations and satellite communications.

Residual dislocations in GaN crystals may cause deterioration in device performance and reliability, making it an urgent challenge to establish non-destructive, highly accurate techniques for observing and evaluating defects inside crystals.

For more details, please refer to the JFCC press release below.

■ JFCC Press Release
https://www.jfcc.or.jp/press/r26_4.html

■ Crystalline Tester CP1 Product Information
https://ceramicforum.co.jp/en/inspection/cs2/

■ Contact Form
https://ceramicforum.co.jp/en/contact/