I can find quite a few information on the cost of CMOS or SiGe BiCMOS, from MPW, to mask cost, to high-volume wafer cost on different nodes. But GaAs, being the 3rd largest semiconductor technology platform (I believe close to $10B last year), I really can't find much on its cost. Could someone please give me a rough idea on how much a wafer cost for a GaAs technology, e.g. a 6" 0.25um or 0.5um technology? Just want to know a ballpark number like I know 0.18um 8" CMOS is about $1000/wafer for moderate volume. Thank you!
Array
(
[content] =>
[params] => Array
(
[0] => /forum/threads/gaas-cost-question.9213/
)
[addOns] => Array
(
[DL6/MLTP] => 13
[Hampel/TimeZoneDebug] => 1000070
[SV/ChangePostDate] => 2010200
[SemiWiki/Newsletter] => 1000010
[SemiWiki/WPMenu] => 1000010
[SemiWiki/XPressExtend] => 1000010
[ThemeHouse/XLink] => 1000970
[ThemeHouse/XPress] => 1010570
[XF] => 2021770
[XFI] => 1050270
)
[wordpress] => /var/www/html
)
Guests have limited access.
Join our community today!
Join our community today!
You are currently viewing SemiWiki as a guest which gives you limited access to the site. To view blog comments and experience other SemiWiki features you must be a registered member. Registration is fast, simple, and absolutely free so please, join our community today!
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
GaAs cost question
- Thread starter Andy Sun
- Start date
I can find quite a few information on the cost of CMOS or SiGe BiCMOS, from MPW, to mask cost, to high-volume wafer cost on different nodes. But GaAs, being the 3rd largest semiconductor technology platform (I believe close to $10B last year), I really can't find much on its cost. Could someone please give me a rough idea on how much a wafer cost for a GaAs technology, e.g. a 6" 0.25um or 0.5um technology? Just want to know a ballpark number like I know 0.18um 8" CMOS is about $1000/wafer for moderate volume. Thank you!
New process could make gallium arsenide cheaper for computer chips, solar cells
Fred, thanks for the link. I think I made a false impression that I was trying to ask blank wafer costs between GaAs and Si while I intended to ask for the processed ones.
For the wafer itself, I think in the report you linked it's unfairly comparing Si and GaAs wafers on 200mm (8') as 200mm GaAs is really just emerging and very immature. Comparing them on 150mm is a better metric. A 150mm Si wafer costs something between $10-30, pretty much the same as 200mm and some times even higher as 200mm usually has more inventory. And a 150mm GaAs costs around $100-150. So the ratio is 5~10 : 1, certainly nowhere close to 1000:1.
I think it's safe to say the processed wafers that I asked about is more related to the processing. And GaAs, though I don't think it's much more difficult to process than Si, has certainly much smaller ecosystem to drive its cost down. I wonder if that cost is on the order of 2x (e.g. ~$2000/ processed wafer) or 10x .
For the wafer itself, I think in the report you linked it's unfairly comparing Si and GaAs wafers on 200mm (8') as 200mm GaAs is really just emerging and very immature. Comparing them on 150mm is a better metric. A 150mm Si wafer costs something between $10-30, pretty much the same as 200mm and some times even higher as 200mm usually has more inventory. And a 150mm GaAs costs around $100-150. So the ratio is 5~10 : 1, certainly nowhere close to 1000:1.
I think it's safe to say the processed wafers that I asked about is more related to the processing. And GaAs, though I don't think it's much more difficult to process than Si, has certainly much smaller ecosystem to drive its cost down. I wonder if that cost is on the order of 2x (e.g. ~$2000/ processed wafer) or 10x .
Yes. I think it'd help if I make the question more specific:
Comparison on the cost of a processed wafer between:
1. GaAs 0.25um/0.15um HEMT (150mm) popularly offered by many leading GaAs foundries e.g. WIN, Qorvo, etc.
2. Si 0.18um/0.13um CMOS (200mm) widely offered by almost all major Si foundries
I know the cost of the 2nd one is about $800-$1000 depending on who you ask.
Comparison on the cost of a processed wafer between:
1. GaAs 0.25um/0.15um HEMT (150mm) popularly offered by many leading GaAs foundries e.g. WIN, Qorvo, etc.
2. Si 0.18um/0.13um CMOS (200mm) widely offered by almost all major Si foundries
I know the cost of the 2nd one is about $800-$1000 depending on who you ask.
Maybe you are looking to compare 150mm GaAs with 200mm or 300mm Si.
Scotten Jones
Moderator
Yes. I think it'd help if I make the question more specific:
Comparison on the cost of a processed wafer between:
1. GaAs 0.25um/0.15um HEMT (150mm) popularly offered by many leading GaAs foundries e.g. WIN, Qorvo, etc.
2. Si 0.18um/0.13um CMOS (200mm) widely offered by almost all major Si foundries
I know the cost of the 2nd one is about $800-$1000 depending on who you ask.
First off, when you say cost I assume you mean selling price so that the cost is what you would pay as opposed to manufacturing cost.
Selling price is highly dependent on volume, for example in "average" volumes the selling price of 180nm/130nm processes on 200mm silicon wafers is actually at or below the bottom of your range. 250nm/150nm HEMT on 150mm GaAs wafers will have a slightly higher price than the 200mm silicon wafers. For specific answer we sell cost and price models that will provide the answers you need.