Tianyu Semicoductor Technology Co Ltd, a manufacturer of silicon carbide (SiC) epitaxial wafers based in Dongguang, Guangdong Province, China, has added another hydrogen purifier from Ivyland, PA, USA-based Power+Energy Inc (P+E). The purifier is installed to support capacity expansion at Tianyu’s facility in Dongguan City.

Founded in January 2009 in Songshan Lake National High-tech Industrial Development Zone of Dongguan City, Guangdong province, Tianyu produces 4H-SiC epiwafers with diameters of 2-, 3- and 4-inches and (in the near future) 6-inches.

“We have seen excellent results from the Power and Energy hydrogen purifier for our Aixtron silicon carbide reactors,” says Tianyu researcher Sun Guosheng.

The compact 9000C Series purifier purifies hydrogen used in the Aixtron metal-organic chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD) epitaxial growth process for SiC wafers. Oxygen, moisture and nitrogen contamination must be completely eliminated to parts-per-billion levels in SiC growth processes.

The 9000C purifier uses patented micro-channel palladium membrane technology to remove all impurities to parts-per-trillion levels. P+E says that it provides a durable, production-worthy hydrogen purifier that supports any flow rate and any inlet gas source quality. The compact design can be wall-mounted to provide ultra-high-purity (UHP) hydrogen for MOCVD epitaxial processes.

“Tianyu has an impressive facility and they are poised for rapid growth as the first China-based supplier of SiC epi wafers,” says P+E’s Stuart Bestrom. “We are pleased to continue supporting this expansion,” he adds. ”P+E has been supporting customers in SiC processing for over 12 years, including many leading suppliers of SiC materials and epiwafers.”

P+E says that hydrogen gas purifiers are critical to the rapidly expanding high-efficiency power devices industry, whether silicon carbide or gallium nitride. The firm says that its micro-channel Pd membrane technology allows users to continue to employ the same technology in high-volume production, regardless of source gas quality.