Cree, Inc. has achieved another milestone in the development of silicon carbide (SiC) technology with the demonstration of 100-mm (4-inch), Zero-Micropipe (ZMP), n-type SiC substrates.

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Micropipes, common crystalline defects in SiC, can not only decrease the number of usable electronic devices produced per wafer, but can also affect performance parameters of each device produced. Until now, these defects have been present in nearly all SiC wafers manufactured and sold by commercial substrate vendors. Through previous research and development efforts at Cree, partially funded by the U.S. Army and DARPA, the density of these defects has been dramatically reduced. Cree’s current accomplishment demonstrates that it is possible to eliminate these defects in large-area wafers as well.

“Cree’s achievement of a 100-mm ZMP substrate further demonstrates our materials technology expertise. We expect that ZMP technology can significantly improve device yields, expand the range of products that can be designed and produced, and enable manufacturing at higher-volume levels than had been possible before,” stated Cengiz Balkas, Cree’s vice president and general manager for materials.