Credit: DIGITIMES
10/19/2021 news
Unikorn Semiconductor, a provider of compound semiconductor foundry services, expects its operation to grow by 2-3 times over the next 3-5 years and accordingly is in preparation to expand production capacity and set up production capacity for new products, according to company chairman Wayne Shih and president JS Wen.
Unikorn provides foundry services for two categories of semiconductors: Optoelectronics and microelectronics, with the former focusing on VCSEL and microLED and the latter on RF PA (power amplifier), filters and power devices.
VCSEL can be widely used in proximity sensing, 3D facial recognition and under-display fingerprint recognition, optical communication such as 25G fiber-optic communication.
For microLED, Unikorn has been in cooperation with international enterprises to develop microLED panels for use in large-size displays and AR/VR devices.
Microelectronic semiconductors are mainly based on GaN, a key material. Through cooperation with Global Communication Semiconductors - its strategic shareholder with a 45.39% stake - Unikorn is developing high-frequency, high-voltage and high-current 5G RF PA based on GaN for use in 5G base stations as well as BAW (bulk acoustic wave) filters for use in 5G smartphones.
While GaN has been mostly used in 65W fast charging devices, Unikorn has begun development of GaN-based PA for use in 5G smartphones, mainly because such PA semiconductors used in a 5G smartphone can be 50% or one-third fewer than those based on other materials. However, adoption of GaN is faced with physical constraints arising from material attributes and technological challenges and it will take time to solve these problems.
For GaN-based power devices, Unikorn looks to potential application to motherboards, home electric appliances, LED light panels and AC/DC power switches.
With a capital expenditure budget of over NT$1.0 billion (US$35.7 million), Unikorn will begin expansion of production capacity and establishment of capacity for new products in 2022.
Unikorn currently has eight MOCVD sets for foundry of epitaxial wafers, with some used by clients to test products. Besides adding MOCVD sets, Unikorn can substantially increase foundry capacity temporarily through cooperation with Epistar, its parent company engaged in production of LED and miniLED epitaxial wafers.
Shift from 4-inch semiconductor wafers to 6- and 8-inch ones is already a trend, and for GaN-on-Si wafers, 8-inch ones are more likely than 6-inch ones. Therefore, Unikorn plans to procure 8-inch MOCVD sets over the next 3-5 years, with the new equipment likely to be used to initially produce filters and power devices.