Pilot line on advanced semiconductor devices based on Wide Bandgap materials

REMINDER Call Deadline and Submissions:

The Deadline for submission is today 29 February 2024 at 17:00 Brussels time.

IMPORTANT: Only proposals submitted in each of the three interrelated calls will be eligible for evaluation

File Size increase:

Please be informed that the file size has been increased to 50MB for the Part B Submission. 

Page limit:

Please note that there are no page limits for the application but the consortia are encouraged to limit the narrative part of the application to 200 pages excluding the tables that are expected.

The submission session is now available for: DIGITAL-JU-Chips-2023-SG-CPL-3(DIGITAL-JU-SIMPLE), DIGITAL-JU-Chips-2023-SG-CPL-1(DIGITAL-JU-SIMPLE), DIGITAL-JU-Chips-2023-SG-CPL-4(DIGITAL-JU-SIMPLE), DIGITAL-JU-Chips-2023-SG-CPL-2(DIGITAL-JU-SIMPLE)

 The pilot line should address most of the following topics:

• Further optimization and development of WBG and UWBG substrates and advanced growth techniques, and in particular:

o SiC including off-axis and different polytypes

o GaN crystal growth and substrates (e.g. n-types and semi-insulating)

o UWBG native substrates (e.g., AlN, Ga2O3)

• Extending the current state–of–the–art device technology on wafers and epi–wafers:

o SiC epi materials on 200mm and alternative low–cost SiC wafer solutions

o III–Nitrides on off–axis SiC and 3C–SiC

o GaN on Si, GaN–on–GaN, Ga2O3

o introduction of novel high–k dielectrics for the next generation of 4H–SiC MOSFETs and CMOS

o III–Nitrides HEMT epi on SiC

• Further work on device processing and reliability, including:

o optimization of SiC MOSFET in a wide power range

o RF HEMTs, power HEMTs, GaN process modules

o Vertical FinFETs

o GaN MISHEMTs, vertical GaN

o Novel architectures for SiC MOSFET and BJT

o Gate insulators trapping, identification of critical defects and qualification of substrates

• Further development of WBG–based advanced devices and ICs:

o Large–scale integration

o development of integrated circuit SiC–based technology for harsh environments and radiation hard operations

o development of advanced normally–off RF GaN HEMTs

o MMIC design kits and processes

o Power IC design

• Delivery of updated PDKs: Once the technology and additional process modules will be mature enough, the proposed pilot line will have to continuously deliver updated PDKs for technology assessment. Any stakeholder must have access to the PDKs, describing WBG technology and the additional modules, through the Design Platforms, the Competence Centers and/or directly to the pilot line.

• Realization of Power and RF devices through dedicated runs for European partners, according to an operational and access policy defined for the pilot line for the collaboration with those stakeholders.

The access policy from the different stakeholders to the pilot line should be defined in the proposal according to fair and non-discriminatory principles.

During the whole duration of the pilot line, the hosting entity and other partners should provide training to any European partner interested in designing devices based on WBG technology to use the full benefits of this technology, as well as for students for up- and re-skilling to attract new talents in the European semiconductor industry.

Collaborations: The proposed WBG pilot line must facilitate the collaboration with other pilot lines, with design platforms and competence centres to allow contributions from other stakeholders that develop a strong expertise in a specific domain related to the topics of this pilot line.