三星氮化镓代工项目试产出现可靠性问题，量产再遇新延迟
三星电子的下一代氮化镓功率半导体代工项目在试产中遭遇可靠性问题，引发商业量产可能推迟的担忧。该项目原计划于2025年在美国得克萨斯州泰勒市工厂启动8英寸GaN晶圆生产，但此次问题可能导致量产时间进一步延后。
原文深度解读
本文报道三星电子氮化镓（GaN）功率半导体代工项目在试产中遭遇可靠性问题，可能导致商业量产进一步推迟。项目原计划2025年启动，后推迟至2026年底，现可能再延后数月。涉及主体包括三星电子、无晶圆厂客户、竞争对手（英飞凌、意法半导体、德州仪器、英诺赛科）及潜在替代代工厂（格芯、力积电、X-FAB）。关键数字：8英寸产线月产能约1300-1500片，测试芯片在100-200°C下约1000小时后失效，目标阈值电压2-3伏。与电子元器件供应链相关，影响GaN功率半导体供应。
- 三星电子在韩国龙仁器兴园区建立了8英寸GaN半导体代工专用产线，月产能约1300至1500片晶圆。
- 试产中部分芯片在100至200摄氏度下暴露约1000小时后停止工作，引发可靠性担忧。
- GaN半导体用于高达1200伏的高压应用及超过200摄氏度的环境，可靠性问题可能限制当前工艺芯片的可用性。
- 三星正在调查根本原因，行业消息人士认为晶圆制造工艺是重点，为达到目标器件性能而进行的工艺修改可能导致了可靠性问题。
- 三星可能专注于实现2至3伏的阈值电压目标，而忽视了器件寿命影响；GaN半导体通常需要约2伏的阈值电压。
- 三星于2023年重组LED业务，成立化合物半导体解决方案（CSS）部门，原计划2025年启动GaN代工线，因市场疲软推迟至2026年底，现可能再延后数月。
供应链影响
- 三星GaN代工量产时间可能进一步推迟，具体取决于问题解决进度，可能影响依赖三星的客户供应。
- 部分无晶圆厂公司可能评估替代代工伙伴（如格芯、力积电、X-FAB），可能导致订单转移，取决于三星的修复速度。
- 由于化合物半导体掩模成本较低，客户可能采用多源策略，可能分散供应链风险。
- 三星的延迟可能使竞争对手（如英飞凌、意法半导体、德州仪器、英诺赛科）在GaN市场保持领先，可能影响市场格局。
- 可靠性问题可能影响GaN在电动汽车、机器人、数据中心等应用中的采用，取决于问题是否解决及解决时间。
系统解读，仅作为判断线索，不构成备货、出货、涨价或投资建议。
（来源：三星电子）
三星电子的下一代氮化镓（GaN）功率半导体代工项目在试产中遭遇挫折，引发商业量产可能推迟到今年之后的担忧。据报道，部分测试芯片在长时间高温条件下未能正常工作，问题由此出现。
据多位行业消息人士7月31日透露，三星已在龙仁器兴园区建立了专用的8英寸GaN半导体代工产线，月产能约为1300至1500片晶圆。该公司最近对无晶圆厂半导体公司设计的芯片进行了试产。在测试过程中，部分芯片在暴露于100至200摄氏度温度约1000小时后停止工作。
GaN半导体通常用于高达1200伏的高压应用以及超过200摄氏度的环境。它们在高温条件下可靠运行的能力使其在电动汽车、机器人和数据中心应用中越来越有吸引力。行业消息人士称，报道的可靠性问题可能限制使用当前工艺制造的芯片的可用性。
据称三星正在调查问题的根本原因。行业消息人士指出晶圆制造工艺是主要关注领域。据这些消息人士称，为达到目标器件性能而引入的工艺修改可能导致了可靠性问题。
GaN器件通常在外延晶圆上制造，其中GaN层通过外延工艺在硅（Si）晶圆上生长。如果GaN层的质量或结构未完全优化，缺陷在高温高压工作条件下可能变得更加明显。三星使用金属有机化学气相沉积（MOCVD）设备自行制造外延晶圆。
一位知情人士表示，三星可能专注于实现功率半导体2至3伏的目标阈值电压，而忽视了对器件寿命的潜在影响。GaN半导体通常需要约2伏的阈值电压。如果阈值电压过低，器件可能对非常小的电流做出响应，更容易发生操作错误。
三星于2023年重组了LED业务，并成立了化合物半导体解决方案（CSS）部门，专注于GaN半导体。该部门原计划于2025年启动专用GaN代工线。然而，功率半导体市场状况弱于预期，促使三星将时间表推迟到2026年底。
行业消息人士现在认为，最新的可靠性问题可能使时间表再推迟几个月。一位匿名的三星GaN代工客户表示，三星进入市场的时间已经晚于竞争对手，因为该公司优先考虑存储半导体等主要业务。英飞凌科技、意法半导体、德州仪器和英诺赛科等公司已经商业出货GaN半导体一到两年。
据报道，一些无晶圆厂半导体公司正在评估替代代工合作伙伴，直到三星解决问题。潜在替代方案包括格芯、力积电和X-FAB。与硅半导体不同，硅半导体的掩模成本通常较高，足以鼓励在单一代工厂生产，而化合物半导体的掩模成本相对较低，因此与多个制造合作伙伴合作负担较小。
三星电子的一位代表表示，该公司仍处于预生产阶段，正在解决正常的开发挑战。
“这是量产前解决试错问题过程的一部分，”该代表表示。“现在判断这些发现是否构成缺陷还为时过早。”
(Source: Samsung Electronics)
Samsung Electronics' next-generation gallium nitride (GaN) power semiconductor foundry project has encountered a setback during trial production, raising concerns that commercial production may be delayed beyond this year. The issue emerged after some test chips reportedly failed to operate under extended high-temperature conditions.
According to multiple industry sources on July 31, Samsung has established a dedicated 8-inch GaN semiconductor foundry line at its Giheung campus in Yongin with monthly capacity of approximately 1,300 to 1,500 wafers. The company recently conducted trial production of chips designed by fabless semiconductor companies. During testing, some of the chips reportedly stopped functioning after being exposed to temperatures of 100 to 200 degrees Celsius for roughly 1,000 hours.
GaN semiconductors are commonly used in high-voltage applications of up to 1,200 volts and in environments exceeding 200 degrees Celsius. Their ability to operate reliably under high-temperature conditions has made them increasingly attractive for electric vehicles, robotics and data center applications. Industry sources said the reported reliability issues could limit the usability of chips manufactured using the current process.
Samsung is said to be investigating the root cause of the problem. Industry sources identified the wafer manufacturing process as a leading area of focus. According to those sources, process modifications introduced to achieve targeted device performance may have contributed to the reliability issue.
GaN devices are typically fabricated on epitaxial wafers, in which a GaN layer is grown on a silicon (Si) wafer through an epitaxy process. If the quality or structure of the GaN layer is not fully optimized, defects can become more pronounced under high-temperature and high-voltage operating conditions. Samsung manufactures its own epitaxial wafers using metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) equipment.
A person familiar with the matter said Samsung may have focused on achieving the target threshold voltage of 2 to 3 volts for power semiconductors while overlooking potential effects on device longevity. GaN semiconductors generally require a threshold voltage of around 2 volts. If the threshold voltage is too low, the device may respond to very small currents and become more susceptible to operational errors.
Samsung reorganized its LED business in 2023 and established the Compound Semiconductor Solutions (CSS) division to focus on GaN semiconductors. The division originally planned to launch a dedicated GaN foundry line in 2025. However, weaker-than-expected conditions in the power semiconductor market prompted Samsung to postpone the schedule to the end of 2026.
Industry sources now believe the latest reliability issue could push the timeline back by several additional months. One Samsung GaN foundry customer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Samsung had already entered the market later than competitors because the company prioritized major businesses such as memory semiconductors. Companies including Infineon Technologies, STMicroelectronics, Texas Instruments and Innoscience have already been shipping GaN semiconductors commercially for one to two years.
Some fabless semiconductor companies are reportedly evaluating alternative foundry partners until Samsung resolves the issue. Potential alternatives include GlobalFoundries, Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation and X-FAB. Unlike silicon semiconductors, where mask costs are typically high enough to encourage production at a single foundry, compound semiconductor mask costs are relatively lower, making it less burdensome to work with multiple manufacturing partners.
A Samsung Electronics representative said the company is still in the pre-production stage and is working through normal development challenges.
"It is part of the process of addressing trial-and-error issues before mass production," the representative said. "It is too early to determine whether these findings constitute a defect."