Novel Christal Technology

Novel Crystal Technology, Inc. is a Japanese semiconductor company specializing in the development, manufacturing, and sale of gallium oxide (Ga2O3) wafers. The company was established on June 30, 2015, as a carve-out venture from Tamura Corporation and a technology transfer venture from Japan's National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT). Led by President and CEO Akito Kuramata, the firm is headquartered in Sayama, Saitama.

The company's core technology is based on research from a team led by Tamura Corporation, NICT, and the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology. It focuses on Ga2O3, a material with a larger band-gap energy than silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN), which allows for the creation of power devices with lower energy loss, particularly at high voltages. A key advantage of Ga2O3 is that its single-crystal substrates can be fabricated using a melt growth method, enabling faster and more cost-effective production of large, high-quality wafers compared to SiC and GaN.

Novel Crystal Technology's business model revolves around the manufacture and sale of Ga2O3 single crystal substrates and epitaxial wafers to public institutions, corporate R&D teams, and device manufacturers worldwide. Its product line includes 2-inch and 100mm (4-inch) wafers, and the company is developing larger 150mm (6-inch) wafers, which are crucial for mass production in the power device market. The company also develops its own power devices, such as Schottky Barrier Diodes (SBDs) and MOSFETs, to demonstrate the material's potential and accelerate market adoption. The firm has received significant funding from numerous corporate investors, including Tamura Corporation, AGC Inc., Mitsubishi Electric, and Yaskawa Electric Corp, among others.

Keywords: gallium oxide, Ga2O3, power semiconductors, epitaxial wafers, single crystal substrates, wide-bandgap semiconductors, power electronics, power devices, schottky barrier diode, melt growth method, semiconductor materials, vertical bridgman technique, MOSFET, high-voltage applications, low power loss, semiconductor development, crystal growth