From the initial application, semiconductor materials have developed for three generations. The first generation is the gradual development of group IV semiconductor materials represented by germanium and silicon in the 1940s and 1950s. Transistor radios were the product of that era to promote human beings to enter the electronic era. By the 1960s and 1970s, the development of group III-V semiconductors opened up photoelectric and microwave applications, and together with the first generation of semiconductors, human beings to the information age. Since the 1980s, the emergence of third-generation semiconductor materials represented by silicon carbide SiC and gallium nitride GaN has opened up new development in a human resource and energy-saving society, and spawned new application needs and industries such as new lighting, display and photobiology.
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If we make a simple classification of the semiconductor world we know, it can be divided into logic devices and power devices. The core part of an electronic product has a computing part (such as a CPU), a storage part such as (memory, hard disk, etc.) and a module that provides power transmission and control.
The metaphor is that the CPU and storage made of silicon devices are like a human brain, and the power supply and battery are like the human heart. Power devices are like human blood and nervous system. The third-generation semiconductor is the core material that replaces some silicon devices in this field in the future to provide better solutions for the whole system.
After decades of development, silicon materials are close to perfect crystals, and the research on silicon materials is also very thorough. The design and development of silicon-based devices have also undergone many generations of structural and process optimization and upgrading, and are gradually approaching the limit of silicon materials. The potential for improving the performance of silicon-based devices is getting smaller and smaller.
The third-generation semiconductor represented by gallium nitride and silicon carbide has excellent material and physical properties, which provides more space for further improving the performance of power electronic devices.
Detailed application areas
Let‘s first introduce the system. The fields that can be applied for three and a half generations can be divided into two categories: RF devices and power electronic devices. To put it bluntly, it is a microwave (not Weibo) communication class, and a power supply module. We will introduce you to several star apps according to this category:
(1) Phased array radar
A large number of radio frequency devices of gallium nitride are used in phased array radar. There are endless applications of third-generation semiconductors in the military industry. Power devices including gallium nitride and silicon carbide will also play an important role in the future.
(2) 5G communication
Gallium nitride undertakes 5G communication, and Qorvo in the United States is the forerunner of this industry. In addition, at present, professional RF device manufacturers such as Huawei and ZTE in China can be expected to be an important manufacturer of 5G communications in the near future.
(3) Internet of Things
Jack Ma said: In the future, the Internet will disappear and the Internet of Things will replace it. Anyway, the Internet of Things is a hot spot in the future, which will be full of RF and power devices of third-generation semiconductors.
(4) Electric vehicles
In the future, the power of electric vehicles depends on the power devices of third-generation semiconductors. Silicon carbide and gallium nitride will have a large market for electric vehicles. With only one power device, the demand for each car will increase by about $300.
(5) Robots
Future robots will inevitably need three and a half generations of energy-saving, miniaturized, high-power and high reaction speed. Whether it is an industrial robot, a home robot, or a drone. They all breed huge market opportunities.
(6) White household appliances
Although it is not very high, the market scale of white household appliances cannot be ignored. In the future, with the development of smart home technology, the integration of white home appliances and the Internet of Things Internet and wearable devices will make the industry full of new opportunities.
(7) Internet
Finally speaking of the Internet, if a product cannot be connected to the Internet in this era, it seems to be a promising product.
(8) New energy
Various new energy inverters and auxiliary equipment
(9) High-speed rail
The IGBT reported by CCTV is known as the Chinese core of the high-speed railway. With the development of third-generation semiconductor technology in the future, the day when silicon‘s IGBT is replaced should not be far away.
In short, third-generation semiconductor devices, like reinforced cement in the construction industry, are distributed in every corner of this society full of power electronic products. Strictly speaking, it is not the Internet that has changed the world, but that semiconductors have changed the development of the world in recent decades. But is this industry as bright as the Internet? When it comes to the semiconductor industry, most people will say: it is heavier.
The market size of this industry is estimated to be only tens of billions of dollars. If you play "100 million floating billions" small mahjong, it is estimated that it will not be able to support it overnight. However, if calculated according to the industry pull, a market size of about $500-100 billion will be formed in the future. In short, the ceiling is very high, and everyone has food to eat. At present, the amount of money invested in this industry is only 1 billion US dollars. The investment scale is not as good as that of a silicon 12-inch line. Therefore, this is a blue sea full of opportunities, but the wind and waves are also very large. Without experienced sailors, you can‘t be rich alone.
I hope that all domestic manufacturers of third-generation semiconductors can help domestic semiconductors break out of a new world.
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