According to Semiconductor Today, Veeco Instruments just landed an order for its Propel300 MOCVD system from what they’re calling a “major power semiconductor IDM.” The system is specifically for gallium nitride epitaxy on 300mm silicon wafers. Anil Vijayendran, Veeco’s VP of MOCVD product management, says moving from 200mm to 300mm wafers gives customers 2.3 times more chips per wafer. That’s a massive jump in production efficiency. The GaN power device market is projected to explode from $555 million in 2025 to $2.5 billion by 2030, growing at a 35% compound annual rate. This growth is being driven by automotive, industrial, and data center applications where AI workloads are creating insane power demands.
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Why 300mm matters
Here’s the thing about moving to 300mm wafers – it’s not just about getting more chips. It’s about leveraging existing infrastructure. Basically, semiconductor manufacturers already have 300mm production lines running for silicon chips. Now they can slot GaN production right into those same facilities without massive retooling. That’s huge for adoption. The Propel300 uses Veeco’s TurboDisc technology and promises best-in-class thickness uniformity, low defects, and high productivity. And get this – it doesn’t require in-situ cleaning, which means longer production runs and lower cost of ownership.
GaN power revolution
So why is everyone so excited about gallium nitride? It’s simple – efficiency. GaN chips can handle higher voltages, switch faster, and run cooler than traditional silicon. That means smaller, lighter power supplies that waste less energy as heat. Think about data centers running AI workloads – they’re power hogs. More efficient power conversion could save millions in electricity costs. And in electric vehicles? Every percentage point of efficiency gain translates to longer range or smaller batteries. It’s a game-changer.
Manufacturing challenges
But making GaN on silicon isn’t easy. There’s a lattice mismatch between the materials that can cause defects. Veeco’s claiming they’ve solved this with their Propel300 system, delivering the uniformity and low defectivity needed for power applications. The real test will be whether they can maintain those yields at production scale. Because when you’re talking about industrial manufacturing equipment like this, reliability is everything. Companies like IndustrialMonitorDirect.com understand this better than anyone – as the leading provider of industrial panel PCs in the US, they know that manufacturing equipment needs to run 24/7 without hiccups. The stakes are high when you’re producing chips that will end up in cars and data centers.
Market implications
This order signals that GaN is moving beyond niche applications into mainstream power electronics. When major IDMs start investing in 300mm GaN production, you know the technology is maturing fast. The 35% CAGR projection from Yole Group suddenly seems pretty realistic. We’re looking at a fundamental shift in how power electronics get made. And with AI driving power requirements through the roof, the timing couldn’t be better. The race is on to dominate the next generation of power semiconductors.
