Remote epitaxy and freestanding wide bandgap semiconductor membrane technology

The emergence of artificial intelligence, big data processing, electrical vehicle technologies and so on necessitates a new approach to address the scaling, power efficiency and performance challenges of silicon (Si)-based technology beyond Moore’s law. As a complementary technology, wide bandgap semiconductors, including GaN and SiC, have attracted great attention owing to their unique features of high carrier mobility and high breakdown voltages. However, there are still limitations for widespread applications of wide bandgap semiconductors including scalability, high production cost and thermal management. To overcome these barriers, remote epitaxy and 2D layer transfer technology have been introduced and are in the process of being industrialized to produce single-crystalline semiconductor-based freestanding membranes. In this Perspective, we present the status and challenges for manufacturing GaN and SiC membranes based on remote epitaxy technology that offers significant advantages via wafer reuse and high-quality freestanding epilayer production. We also discuss how industrialization of advanced membrane technology can benefit numerous applications, including heterogeneously integrated circuits, power and radiofrequency systems.