Agnitron Technology Featured on Cover of Compound Semiconductor Magazine for D₂-VUV Breakthrough
CHANHASSEN, MN – August 2026 — Agnitron Technology is proud to announce that its latest breakthroughs in ultra-wide-bandgap (UWBG) semiconductor material growth have been featured as the cover story in Compound Semiconductor Magazine (Volume 32, Issue VI, 2026).
The featured article, titled “Efficacious excitation aids n-type AlN,” authored by Agnitron’s team, details major advancements in metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) growth techniques for silicon-doped aluminum nitride (AlN), high-aluminum-content AlGaN, and gallium oxide (β-Ga₂O₃).
Overcoming Historical Limitations in n-type AlN
Achieving conductive n-type AlN layers with high free-electron concentrations and mobility has long been a challenge due to low donor activation efficiency and defect compensation. Agnitron addressed this by integrating a deuterium vacuum-ultraviolet (D₂-VUV) illumination source directly into the custom showerhead of its Agilis 100 MOCVD reactor. Operating deep within the UV spectrum near 160 nm, this in-situ excitation shift shifts point defect formation energies during epitaxy.
Key results achieved with D₂-VUV-assisted growth include:
Record Donor Activation Efficiency: Achieved approximately 22% donor activation efficiency in silicon-doped AlN—nearly two orders of magnitude higher than typical reported MOCVD values.
Ultra-Low Bulk Resistivity: Reached a record-low bulk resistivity of 2.7 Ω·cm in silicon-doped AlN.
Optimized Transport Properties: Combined a free-electron concentration of 3 × 10¹⁶ cm⁻³ with an electron mobility of approximately 80 cm²/V·s.
Enhanced AlGaN Performance: Demonstrated conductive Al₀.₈₇Ga₀.₁₃N with carrier concentrations reaching 3.1 × 10¹⁹ cm⁻³ and a 57% reduction in specific contact resistivity.
Wafer-Scale – β-Ga₂O₃ FETs and Dynamic Sweep Gas Modulation
In addition to AlN advancements, the cover feature highlights Agnitron’s success in scaling nitrogen-buffered β-Ga₂O₃ Field-Effect Transistor (FET) structures to 2-inch wafers using the Agilis 700 MOCVD platform. This approach successfully suppresses parasitic interface conduction channels to enable uniform wafer-scale device performance.
The article also introduces Agnitron’s patent-pending Dynamic Sweep Gas Modulation technology (US Patent Application No. 19/715,791). By dynamically sweeping gas flows during growth, the technology time-averages spatial biases to achieve approximately 1% 1σ thickness non-uniformity across 4-inch substrates in vertical MOCVD configurations.
Acknowledgments
This research was supported in part by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) under Contract No. 140D0424C0048, the Office of Naval Research (ONR) SBIR Phase II program under Contract No. N6833520C0105, and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) under Contract No. FA239423CB010.
To read the full article, visit Compound Semiconductor Magazine (Vol. 32, Issue VI) here: https://compoundsemiconductor.net/article/125064/Efficacious_excitation_aids_n-type_AlN or contact Agnitron Technology directly.
About Agnitron Technology
Agnitron Technology is a pioneer in advanced MOCVD equipment design and epitaxy development, specializing in ultra-wide-bandgap materials including AlN, AlGaN, β-Ga₂O₃, and Ga₂O₃-related alloys.
Media Contact:
Agnitron Technology, Inc.
Email: nate.broscoff@agnitron.com
Website: www.agnitron.com