Due to the various ultra-high performance of diamond, it is hailed as the "ultimate semiconductor material" by the industry. Japan is currently a country that has made some achievements in the field of diamond semiconductors, and is expected to gradually enter the diamond semiconductor field from 2025 to 2030. Commercialization stage of diamond semiconductor. (Preliminary summary: The Executive Yuan admits that the north is short of electricity! Blocking large computing centers, AI, semiconductors and other power-hungry monsters can only be saved by nuclear power?) (Background supplement: Taiwan has snatched jobs from the U.S. chip industry? Semiconductor expert: TSMC helps the U.S. make money Full, Trump has ulterior motives) Current semiconductor materials are mainly silicon, but silicon is still stuck in bottlenecks in issues such as high power density, high frequency, high temperature, and high radiation. Although silicon carbide (SiC) and nitride The third-generation semiconductor material of gallium (GaN) is gradually emerging, but its key characteristics such as heat dissipation and energy efficiency still do not meet the industry's pursuit. Against this background, the global semiconductor industry has begun to turn its attention to artificial diamonds. Because diamonds have higher performance than traditional semiconductor materials, they are even hailed as the "ultimate semiconductor material" by the industry. What are the advantages of diamond as a semiconductor material? Compared with traditional semiconductor materials, diamond semiconductors have many advantages, including: High thermal conductivity: Diamond has a very high thermal conductivity, about five times that of copper, which allows it to effectively dissipate heat and is suitable for high temperature and high power applications. used in the environment. Wide energy gap: Diamond has a band gap width of 5.5 eV, much wider than silicon (1.1 eV) and gallium nitride (3.4 eV). This means that diamond semiconductors can still maintain stable performance under high temperatures and high voltages, and are not prone to the excitation and collapse of electrons caused by heat. High electron mobility: Diamond has high electron mobility, which allows electrons to move quickly through the material, helping to increase the working speed of semiconductor components. High breakdown electric field: Diamond can withstand very high electric field strengths without breakdown, making it potentially useful in high-power electronic devices. Chemical stability: Diamond has good chemical stability, is not easy to react with other materials, and can work in harsh environments for a long time. However, diamond semiconductors still face some challenges on the road to commercial application: Manufacturing difficulty and cost: It is very difficult and expensive to artificially synthesize high-quality semiconductor-grade diamonds.Although current synthetic technology can produce semiconductor-grade diamonds, the cost is still relatively high. Manufacturing process: The special physical properties of diamond make existing semiconductor processing technology not fully applicable. The development of new manufacturing processes is a key to promoting the commercialization of diamond semiconductors. Japan's Diamond Semiconductors Have Made Small Successes However, according to "NIKKEI Asia", Japan has made some achievements in the field of diamond semiconductors, including: In 2023, a team from Japan's Saga University successfully developed the world's first device using diamond semiconductors. Power circuit; Tokyo precision component manufacturer Orbray has developed mass production technology for 2-inch diamond wafers and will soon develop 4-inch wafers; Power Diamond Systems has developed a diamond component that can handle the world's leading 6.8 amp current and plans to develop it within a few years Started shipping samples; Ookuma Diamond Device built a factory in Fukushima to mass-produce diamond semiconductors and aims to start operations in 2026. According to a report by Nikkei, diamond semiconductors are expected to gradually enter the commercialization stage from 2025 to 2030. The output value of the diamond semiconductor substrate market in 2030 is estimated to be approximately US$342 million. Virtuemarket, a market research organization, has reported that in 2023, the global diamond semiconductor substrate market output value will be US$151 million, but by the end of 2030, the output value will double to US$342 million. USD, with a forecast compound annual growth rate of 12.3%. Related reports Biden has locked down China's technology industry: further banning investment in AI, semiconductors, and quantum computing. Volkswagen CFO warned: Structural chip supply problems continue, and semiconductor shortages may reach 2024. Bitcoin climbed to 58,000 and then plummeted! Wall Street warns: The wave of yen arbitrage unwinding is not over yet, and the Bank of Japan's interest rate hike may trigger another stock market crash. "The End of Silicon Chips?" The performance of diamond semiconductors is under pressure, and Japan will put it into commercialization before 2030. This article was first published in BlockTempo, the most influential blockchain news media.