If the CPU and storage made of silicon devices are compared to the human brain, the power supply and battery are just like the human heart. And power devices are like human blood and nervous system. The third generation semiconductor is the core material to replace some silicon devices in this field and provide better solutions for the whole system in the future. The research of the third generation semiconductor has been going on for many years. Recently, it is widely known because it can be used in chargers. In February last year, Xiaomi launched new products, in which the 65 watt GaN quick charger became a highlight, doubling the charging speed, smaller size and high safety. However, GaN chargers are not only used for mobile phone charging. The smaller and more convenient GaN charger is a powerful tool to liberate notebook. Recently, auto parts supplier MARELLI and semiconductor company Transphorm cooperated to develop GaN charging technology. In the future, GaN chargers may be used in laptops and new energy vehicles. In addition, some new energy vehicles also use SiC power devices to increase the efficiency of power conversion. For example, Mitsubishi Motor has developed the world's smallest motor with silicon carbide in inverter. In 2015, the switching loss of the inverter of Camry test vehicle with silicon carbide for Toyota Motor was reduced by 30%. In the military field, it is used to test the temperature and pressure of jet engine, tank engine, ship engine, wind tunnel and spacecraft shell.
The charging market is not the only place for the third generation semiconductor power devices. It is also used in optoelectronics and RF fields. It is worth mentioning that in the RF field, GaN RF devices are suitable for high-frequency and high-power scenarios. It is an excellent product in the 5g era. It will replace Si based chips and be used in 5G base stations, satellite communications, military radar and other scenarios.
Under the trend of "carbon neutral", the third generation semiconductor industry, which can improve energy conversion efficiency, is accelerating its development and is expected to become the mainstay of green economy. I believe that the rapid development of the third generation semiconductor industry will bring more convenience to our life in the future.
特此邀请我的老师余志平教授和我一起与大家分享第三代半导体的芯未来。
