Ohio State University has chosen advanced reactor platforms from Japanese industrial gas company Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corporation (TNSC) to spearhead research and development of nitride and oxide materials.
The acquisition includes the TNSC SR4000HT-RR-LV metal organic chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD) reactor and a halide vapour phase epitaxy (HVPE) reactor, marking a major step in Ohio State’s semiconductor capabilities.
These platforms are tailored for cutting-edge semiconductor research, claim TNSC, offering the ability to create complex epitaxial structures with exacting control over thickness and composition.
The MOCVD system is critical for developing wide bandgap semiconductors, particularly useful in power electronics and optoelectronics, while the HVPE reactor is geared toward the production of gallium oxide, a key material for high-power device applications.
The reactors will be installed at Nanotech West Lab, Ohio State’s premier 36,000-square-foot research facility managed by the Institute for Materials and Manufacturing Research (IMR).
TNSC’s MOCVD reactor. ©TNSC
Kunihiro Kobayashi, Senior Corporate Officer at TNSC, spoke of the company’s excitement in collaborating with Ohio State’s leading semiconductor experts, including Professors Steven A. Ringel, Siddharth Rajan and Hongping Zhao.
Kobayashi said, “We are proud to contribute to Ohio State’s reputation as a global centre of excellence in advanced nitride and gallium oxide research.”
The move aligns with Ohio State’s ambitions to push the boundaries of semiconductor research, with Ringel expressing enthusiasm over the partnership. “This collaboration enables us to expand our epitaxial growth capabilities and further advance wide bandgap semiconductor research,” he said.
Ohio State University is conducting extensive research in advanced materials, particularly in the fields of gallium nitride (GaN) and gallium oxide (Ga2O3), both of which are crucial for next-generation semiconductor technologies.
One of the major ongoing projects focuses on wide and ultra-wide bandgap semiconductors, which are vital for high-power electronics and extreme-environment applications.
Gallium oxide, in particular, is gaining attention due to its potential to replace silicon in high-power devices because of its large bandgap (4.7 eV).
Research teams at Ohio State are working on molecular beam epitaxy to grow high-quality Ga2O3 films, while also exploring its doping, electronic properties and radiation resilience. These developments are aimed at improving the performance and durability of power devices.
Ohio State also recently hosted the Gallium Oxide Workshop (GOX 2024), a global event that gathered leading experts in the field to discuss the latest innovations in Ga2O3 materials and devices.
One future project involves the Gallium Oxide Materials Science and Engineering (GAME) initiative, a five-year program funded by the US Air Force. This research aims to further develop gallium oxide’s applications in electronic and photonic devices, potentially revolutionising sectors such as high-frequency communications and ultraviolet light detection.
