Hong Kong targets the gallium nitride market
Hong Kong-based startup MassPhoton is working with the government to build an 8-inch GaN epitaxial wafer pilot production line in the city state.
GaN and silicon carbide (SiC) are third-generation semiconductors materials that, compared with traditional silicon-based semiconductors, offer higher energy efficiency and reduced size. There's a race to enter and gain a foothold in this embryonic market. With this move, Hing Kong has planted its flag in the soil.
MassPhoton is aiming at an annual production capacity of 10,000 units by 2027, and will invest USD 25.6 million in the new wafer production line in Hong Kong. It will also establish a research and development centre for GaN technology at Science Park. It expects to target its GaN wafers at customers in display technology, cars and data centres.
GaN is also promising because there are fewer export restrictions on the equipment used for its manufacture. Indeed, in October last year, the Hong Kong authorities also signed a memorandum of understanding with Shanghai-based J2 Semiconductor to set up Hong Kong’s first SiC 8-inch wafer fab and a new third-generation semiconductor R&D centre.
