#epitaxy

Two-step method enables controllable WS₂ epitaxy growth

In a study published in Journal of the American Chemical Society, a team led by Prof. Song Li from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences synthesized monolayer WS2 lateral homojunctions via in situ domain engineering, and enabled controllable direct chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth of these structures. Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides are ideal candidates to replace silicon-based semiconductors due to their exceptional electrical properties at atomic scales. However, device applications require heterogeneous field-effect modulation behaviors across low-dimensional units. Van der Waals interactions or lateral atomic bonding allow damage-free integration into homojunctions/heterojunctions, but direct epitaxy growth remains challenging due to strict atomic species constraints. In this study, researchers first determined optimal intrinsic defect configurations through theoretical simulations. Then they employed a two-step CVD method to achieve the in situ modulation of defect structures at the domain level, yielding homojunctions with tailored defect architectures.

The epitaxial wafer market plays a pivotal role in manufacturing high-performance semiconductor devices used in applications ranging from consumer electronics to advanced healthcare devices. Epitaxial wafers aid in developing sophisticated integrated circuits and semiconductor chips through epitaxial growth techniques. Advancements in LED technology have increased the demand for epitaxial wafers for commercial and industrial applications. The global epitaxial wafer market is expected to gain significant traction on account of rising adoption of LED lighting and displays.

The Epitaxial Wafer Market size was valued at USD 2,778 million in 2022 and is anticipated to witness a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.9% from 2022 to 2030.

Key players operating in the epitaxial wafer market are EpiWorks Inc., Global Wafers Japan Co. Ltd., Nichia Corporation, SHOWA DENKO K.K., Siltronic AG, Desert Silicon Inc., Electronics and Materials Corporation Ltd. Intelligent Epitaxy Technology Inc.IQE plc., Jenoptic AG, MOSPEC Semiconductor Corporation, Norstel AB, Ommic S.A., Silicon Valley Microelectronics Inc., SVT Associates Inc. Universal Wafer Inc., Wafer Works Corporation, Xiamen Powerway Advanced Materials Co. Ltd., and Visual Photonics Epitaxy Co. Ltd. Key Takeaways Key players: EpiWorks, Global Wafers Japan, and Nichia captured over 35% share of the global market in 2024. EpiWorks leads the market with its diversified product portfolio and strong customer base. Growing demand: Rising adoption of LED lighting, increasing penetration of advanced displays in consumer electronics and mobile devices, and growth of the semiconductor industry will continue to boost demand for epitaxial wafers in the coming years. Global expansion: Leading manufacturers are investing heavily in capacity expansion plans across China, Taiwan, Europe, and the US to cater to the growing worldwide demand. Strategic partnerships and joint ventures are also gaining traction. Market key trends The Epitaxial Wafer Market Trends is undergoing significant transformation led by technological innovation in LED lighting applications. Manufacturers are focusing on developing high-quality mono-epitaxial and multi-epitaxial wafers to enable the mass production of more energy-efficient LED bulbs, streetlights, lamps, and advanced display backlights. Additionally, continuous ramp-up in wafer sizes from 150mm to 200mm and above is helping chipmakers lower production costs and improve epitaxial growth yield. This shift towards larger and more advanced epitaxial wafer substrates will define future market trends.

Porter’s Analysis Threat of new entrants: New companies find it difficult to enter this market as a significant capital investment and technical expertise is required to set up manufacturing facilities for epitaxial wafers. Bargaining power of buyers: Large technology companies like Intel, TSMC, Samsung, etc have significant bargaining power over epitaxial wafer suppliers given their high purchase volumes. Bargaining power of suppliers: The presence of many established players limits the bargaining power of suppliers in this market. Threat of new substitutes: There are limited substitutes for epitaxial wafers as they enable performance and cost benefits for several semiconductor devices. Competitive rivalry: The market is dominated by few global players who compete intensely on technology leadership, quality, and customer service. Geographical Regions Asia Pacific accounts for the major share of the global epitaxial wafer market in terms of value owing to presence of large semiconductor manufacturing facilities and foundries located in countries like China, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan. North America is expected to witness the fastest growth during the forecast period due to expanding semiconductor industry and ongoing technological advancements in the region. Rising demand for advanced semiconductor devices from sectors such as consumer electronics, automotive, industrial will drive the epitaxial wafer market in this region.

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Revealing the effect of AIN surface pits on GaN remote epitaxy

Remote epitaxy has been gaining attention in the field of semiconductor manufacturing for growing thin films that copy the crystal structure of the template, which can later be exfoliated to form freestanding membranes. However, harsh epitaxy conditions can often cause damage to the template materials, such as in the case of remote epitaxy of GaN thin films, promising materials for light-emitting diodes, photodetectors, and power electronic devices, on graphene/AlN templates. GaN remote heteroepitaxy has not been achieved by a standard metal–organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) technique due to the high temperatures involved in the process. It has been reported that graphene placed on a substrate in an extreme environment such as high temperature or use of an active gas in MOCVD gets damaged due to chemical instability, which causes failure to exfoliate grown GaN films. Against this background, a team of researchers led by Dong-Seon Lee, Head of the Department of Semiconductor Engineering and Professor at the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, has recently used remote epitaxy to grow GaN thin films on graphene/AlN templates by MOCVD and investigated the effect of surface pits in AlN on the growth and exfoliation of these thin films.

Colloids Reproduce Interatom Interactions on Surfaces

By epitaxially growing films from colloids, researchers show that they can monitor interactions and behaviors of the particles that are difficult—and sometimes impossible—to capture for similar films grown from atoms. 

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Many components in today’s technologies are built by controlling the assembly of elementary building blocks. For example, in “epitaxy,” components are usually made by depositing atoms layer-by-layer onto a substrate. Epitaxy methods also exist for larger systems, such as micrometer-diameter colloids. Now Manodeep Mondal and Rajesh Ganapathy of Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, India, show that interactions among epitaxially deposited colloids follow predictions made for atomic systems [1]. They say that the finding could help to improve nanofabrication methods.

In their experiments, Mondal and Ganapathy deposited colloids onto substrates patterned with square arrays of holes. The hole spacing varied between substrates and differed slightly from the preferred colloid spacing. The duo mapped the effect of the resulting “misfit” strain on the growth of the colloidal structures using microscopy measurements.

'Dative epitaxy': A new way to stack crystal films

Scientists have grown thin films of two different crystalline materials on top of each other using an innovative technique called "dative epitaxy." The researchers discovered the method by surprise.

As University at Buffalo physicist Hao Zeng explains, dative epitaxy holds layers of different materials together via a weak attractive force between the materials, paired with occasional chemical bonds called "dative bonds."

"I compare this to laying down wood floor in your home," says Zeng, professor of physics in the UB College of Arts and Sciences. "You put a few nails in to anchor the wood planks on the surface. The dative bonds are like these nails."

The research is exciting, Zeng says, because new ways to layer films "could have far-reaching impacts in the fields of semiconductors, quantum technology and renewable energy."

Graphene Printing Technique “Silk Screens” Flexible Electronics

Photo: Wei Kong and Kuan QiaoMIT researchers have devised a way to grow a single crystalline compound semiconductor on its substrate through two-dimensional materials. The compound semiconductor thin film is then exfoliated by a flexible substrate, showing the rainbow color that comes from thin film interference.

Future high-efficiency solar cells molded to the surface of a car; ultra-small…