On July 12, 2024, the Korea Nano Technology Institute (KNTI), under the auspices of the Ministry of Science and ICT, hosted the Compound Semiconductor Forum aimed at exploring strategies to advance and strengthen Korea’s compound semiconductor ecosystem. Although initially planned for 50 participants, the event drew over 70 attendees from industry, academia, research institutions, and government, highlighting the growing interest in compound semiconductors.

A key focus was the rapidly expanding market for GaN-based power and RF semiconductors, with projections estimating growth from KRW 5 trillion in 2024 to KRW 10 trillion by the early 2030s. While GaAs technologies have matured, GaN is increasingly seen as the future of high-power RF applications. SiC, on the other hand, remains limited to very high-voltage applications (above several kV). GaN's strengths—high-frequency switching and integration capability—make it ideally suited for power semiconductors in the 10s of volts to 1kV range.

Global players such as GlobalFoundries (USA), TSMC (Taiwan), and Infineon (Europe) are actively advancing 6- and 8-inch GaN power foundry and IDM businesses. In Korea, major companies like Samsung, DB HiTek, and Key Foundry have recently expressed their intention to build 8-inch GaN power lines, with commercialization expected to begin around 2025.

Among domestic companies, Sigetronics stands out as the only player currently developing commercial GaN-based devices using its in-house 6-inch M-FAB line, with prototype development already underway.

Meanwhile, ETRI (Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute) is developing GaN RFIC technologies on 4-inch wafers and providing limited MPW foundry services to support R&D. KNTI is also leading various projects on epitaxy and GaN process technologies, offering support for industry development and equipment utilization.

During the forum, multiple action items were proposed:

Formation of a national compound semiconductor consortium

Strengthened cooperation between industry and academia for talent development

Expansion of equipment accessibility and process service offerings

Given Korea’s relatively underdeveloped compound semiconductor foundation compared to global leaders, the forum emphasized the need for a national strategy and increased government support, particularly for high-value sectors such as defense and aerospace, which are crucial for transitioning to an advanced industrial society.

Dr. Dongmin Kang from ETRI underscored that while Korea has largely secured capabilities in circuit design, packaging, and module integration, there is a critical shortage of core epitaxy and process technologies—areas that must be prioritized to ensure global competitiveness.

Sigetronics, represented by CEO Deokho Cho and Director Jongwon Kim, presented their roadmap focused on 6-inch GaN epitaxy and process technologies, reviewing how their strategy aligns with and supports the broader development of Korea’s GaN power and RF semiconductor industry.

Source: Korea Nano Technology Institute