Kyma Advances Support of Wide Bandgap Semiconductor Power Electronics

Raleigh, NC / June 13, 2013 – Kyma Technologies, Inc., a leading supplier of advanced materials solutions that promote safety and energy efficiency, today announced its multi-pronged support of the worldwide rush to develop wide bandgap semiconductor (WBGS) power electronics.

Scientists and engineers worldwide are developing WBGS devices to improve the efficiency and decrease the size and cooling requirements of power electronics components and modules such as AC/DC inverters and DC/DC converters for a multitude of applications including transportation, renewable energy, and the electric grid. Most such efforts utilize either gallium nitride (GaN) or silicon carbide (SiC) device active regions. SiC devices are grown on SiC substrates, while GaN devices are grown either on GaN or Si substrates. The homoepitaxial GaN on GaN approach has the greatest potential in terms of device performance due to low defect densities and ability to support vertical device geometries yet GaN substrate technology is still in the development stage.  Heteroepitaxial GaN on Si leverages the low cost and ready availability of Si substrates yet it also compromises the quality of the GaN and makes vertical device geometries difficult to realize.

Kyma’s multi-pronged support of the WBGS power electronics market includes the following materials, devices, and equipment products and services.

• Kyma’s plasma vapor deposition (PVD) tools and PVD grown AlN on Si template products support the fabrication of heteroepitaxial GaN on Si power electronic devices
• Kyma’s hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE) tools and HVPE grown bulk GaN substrates support the fabrication of homoepitaxial GaN on GaN power electronic devices
• Kyma also provides GaN on Si templates by growing a thin layer of GaN by HVPE on top of a PVD AlN on Si template
• Kyma is developing an (Al,Ga)N on Si template technology which has great potential to improve both the cost and the quality of GaN on Si device wafer technology
• Kyma also fabricates GaN and SiC wafers in its Customer Crystal Fabrication Facility with K-Orbital™ Multi-Wire Saws which utilize K-Slice™ Diamond Wire fabricated on Kyma's K-Slice™ Diamond Wire Maker
• Kyma’s first device product, the KO-Switch™, is itself a WBGS power electronic device, and behaves as an optically isolated and gated switch which can standoff up to 10kV with essentially zero leakage current, while turning on in less than one billionth of a second to a very low on-resistance state

The company is experiencing record customer demand for its products and is on track in 2013 for a record revenue year in terms of wafer sales, equipment sales, and device sales both separately and combined.

Keith Evans, Kyma president & CEO commented, “We are pleased to support this exciting green technology space. With solid state lighting really taking off, and WBGS power electronics becoming so important, Kyma’s outlook could not be brighter.”

About Kyma Technologies

Kyma’s mission is to provide advanced materials solutions that promote safety and energy efficiency. Kyma’s products include a diverse portfolio of crystalline nitride semiconductor materials, crystal growth and fabrication equipment, wafer fabrication services, and power switching electronics. Additionally, the company is developing a suite of novel chemical and electromagnetic field sensor technologies.

For more information about Kyma Technologies, visit www.kymatech.com, send an email to info@kymatech.com, or call the company directly at 919.789.8880.

Kyma is a registered trademark of Kyma Technologies, Inc.