3-5 Power Electronics GmbH (35PE) was founded in late 2015 to develop gallium arsenide (GaAs) high-voltage/high-current power semiconductors. The company has secured new financing from the Sturm Family Office (SFO) of Bad-Mergentheim in Germany and has raised 5.3 million euro ($6.10 million) to date. This includes funds previously secured from Shanghai-based SINO Alliance Investment Ltd.

35PE has pioneered a first-of-a-kind process to deposit thick GaAs layers on top of GaAs substrates to produce high-voltage/high-current power semiconductors. The process aims to produce superior power devices at a lower manufacturing cost than devices built with silicon or silicon carbide (SiC). Thick GaAs layers are imperative for the production of high-power devices (600V – 1700V and up to 100–150A). 35PE claims to be the first company to pioneer deposition technologies to produce high-power GaAs devices in high volume. Multiple patents have been filed worldwide and one has already been granted.

The new funds will be used to prepare 35PE’s operations for product commercialization, which is planned for 2H’19, and to forge partnerships with established leaders to help speed the company’s GaAs devices to market. Samples of the company’s GaAs diodes have been submitted for testing to power module makers in Europe and China. Applications include battery charging, welding and industrial heating.

GaAs technology has been used for decades to produce low-voltage/high-frequency devices. 35PE is leveraging the technology to build compact high-power semiconductor devices because of its inherent advantages over silicon, SiC, gallium nitride (GaN), and other materials. The storage charge of GaAs power diodes is only one-seventh that of Si. GaAs power diodes can carry twice as much current in surge tests. The transition capacitance of GaAs diodes are 5X lower than SiC. GaAs power devices have small chip areas, low defect density, and very low RSDon.

Devices based on GaAs deliver higher energy savings, superior performance and greater reliability than those based on silicon. For instance, when compared to a conventional SiC Schottky diode in a 3.3 kW wireless charging system, a GaAs-based device was shown to consume nearly 20% less power. GaAs-based power modules and systems can be as much as 50% smaller and lighter than the silicon alternative. When compared to devices fabricated with wide-band gap (WBG), SiC and GaN materials, GaAs-based devices are less costly to manufacture, while demonstrating equal, and often better performance advantages.

35PE only produces the epitaxy core process; all standard wafer processing is outsourced. The company plans to offer sawn wafers, discrete components and modules. Using its thick GaAs epitaxial layer process, 35PE plans to produce GaAs power semiconductor diodes in Phase 1 and transistors and IGBTs in Phase 2. The company has established select distribution networks in Asia and is pursuing partnerships with strategic investors and global manufacturers.

Dr. Gerhard Bolenz, CEO

gerhard.bolenz@3-5pe.com