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Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd. has determined that QST® (Qromis Substrate Technology) substrate is an essential material for the social implementation of high-performance, energy-efficient GaN (gallium nitride) power devices, and the company will promote the development and launching on the market of these products.
Since QST® substrate is designed to have the same coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) as GaN, it enables suppression of warpage and cracking of the GaN epitaxial layer and resultant large-diameter, high-quality thick GaN epitaxial growth. Taking advantage of these characteristics, it is expected to be applied to power devices and RF devices (5G and beyond 5G), which have been rapidly growing in recent years, as well as in such areas as MicroLED growth for MicroLED displays.
In addition to sales of QST® substrates, Shin-Etsu Chemical will also sell GaN grown QST® substrates upon customer request. We currently have a line-up of 6″ and 8″ diameter substrates, and we are working on 12″ diameter substrates. Since 2021, for each respective application for power devices, RF devices and LEDs, sample evaluation and device development are continuing with numerous customers in Japan and globally. Especially for power devices, continuous evaluation is underway for devices in the wide range of 650V to 1800V.
So far, Shin-Etsu Chemical has repeatedly made many improvements with regard to its QST® substrates. One example is the significant improvement in lowering defects originating from the bonding process, which has enabled the supply of high-quality QST® substrates. In addition, for the thicker GaN films that many of our customers have requested, we have promoted the provision of template substrates with optimized buffer layers, which enables our customers to realize stable epitaxial growth of more than 10 μm thickness. Furthermore, various successful results have been produced and reported on, including the achievement of thick-film GaN growth exceeding 20 μm using QST® substrates and the achievement of 1800V breakdown voltage in power devices.
Moreover, Shin-Etsu Chemical and Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd. have jointly succeeded in developing a technology to exfoliate GaN from QST® substrates and bond it to substrates made of different materials using Crystal Film Bonding (CFB) technology. Until now, most GaN power devices have been lateral devices, but CFB technology takes advantage of the characteristics of QST® substrates to realize vertical power devices that can control large currents by exfoliating a thick layer of high-quality GaN from an insulating QST® substrate (see figure below).
To customers who manufacture GaN devices, Shin-Etsu Chemical will provide QST® substrates or GaN grown QST® substrates and Oki Electric Industry will provide its CFB technology through partnering or licensing. In this way, the two companies hope to contribute to the advancement of vertical power devices.
Based on these development results and also based on business situation inquiries from customers, Shin-Etsu Chemical will continue to increase production to meet customer demand.
Shin-Etsu Chemical will contribute to the realization of a sustainable society that can use energy efficiently by further promoting the social implementation of GaN devices that have characteristics that are absolutely essential for the future society.
Original – Shin-Etsu Chemical
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The Board of Directors of Axcelis Technologies, Inc. named James Coogan to succeed Kevin Brewer as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Coogan will join the Company in October 2023. At that time, Mr. Brewer will assume the title of Executive Vice President, Finance and Operations. He will continue to manage the Company’s manufacturing operations and will support the transition of the Company’s finance function to Mr. Coogan. Mr. Brewer plans to retire at year-end 2023 and will remain as a Senior Advisor through 2024.
Mr. Coogan brings more than 20 years of finance, accounting, and investor relations experience across multiple industries, most recently in aerospace and defense. Mr. Coogan joins Axcelis after serving as Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer at Kaman Corporation, a leading provider of aerospace and defense products. During his 15 years with Kaman, he held various management positions including Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate Development, Assistant Vice President, External Reporting and SEC Compliance, and Director, External Reporting and SEC Compliance.
After starting his career at PwC, he held several financial management roles at Ann Taylor Stores Corporation and Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority before joining Kaman. He holds a Master of Business Administration from Yale School of Management, a Master of Science in Accounting from the University of Connecticut and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Accounting from the University of Connecticut.
Mr. Brewer has had a 24 year career at Axcelis. He came to Axcelis through Eaton Corporation and held numerous executive level positions in the Company including CFO and EVP of Global Operations for the past 10 plus years. Prior to joining Eaton, Mr. Brewer held numerous senior level positions at Raytheon Companies Aircraft, Electronic Systems and Missile systems Divisions.
“We are immensely grateful for the contributions and legacy Kevin has left on this Company. His knowledge and experience during a unique time in Axcelis’ history enabled us to strengthen the Company and position it for a very bright future,” said Executive Chairperson Mary Puma. “Through his leadership, the Company has increased operational efficiencies, strengthened the supply chain, improved financial performance and increased the Company’s pace of profitable growth.”
President and CEO Russell Low stated, “I also want to express my gratitude to Kevin for his contributions and leadership. After an extensive search, we are delighted to announce that Jamie will be joining Axcelis as our new CFO. He is a seasoned executive with a proven track record and his wealth of knowledge and experience will be of great benefit as we continue to focus on the tremendous growth opportunities ahead for Axcelis. We are confident that Jamie will help the team continue to deliver the growth and profitability that investors have come to expect from Axcelis.”
Kevin Brewer commented, “I have been planning this transition in coordination with the Board and believe now is the right time to transition the Finance function. I will continue to oversee Manufacturing Operations through year end, at which time I will move into the Senior Advisor role, supporting both functions as needed through 2024. I am grateful for the honor and privilege to serve as CFO during this pivotal time in the Company’s history. I want to thank the entire Axcelis team for their hard work and unwavering commitment to lead us here. I also want to thank our customers, suppliers and shareholders who have supported Axcelis over the years.”
James Coogan stated, “I am thrilled to join Axcelis during such an exciting time and I look forward to partnering with the leadership team and the Board to build on the Company’s success and drive further growth and long-term shareholder returns.”
Original – Axcelis Technologies
