News: Microelectronics
2 April 2021
Odyssey raises $5m to produce vertically conducting GaN devices
Odyssey Semiconductor Technologies Inc of Ithaca, NY, USA has raised $5m in a common stock private placement of 1.25 million shares (at $4 per share) to further fund the development and production of high-voltage vertically conducting gallium nitride (GaN) power-switching devices.
“We welcome the new shareholders to Odyssey Semiconductor and their support in enabling more efficient and compact power conversion for applications such as electric vehicles,” says chairman & CEO Alex Behfar. “With the entire world focused on the adoption of clean energy and electric power, we’re excited about the advancements our technology can bring to the industry.”
Vertically conducting GaN-based power devices are said to outperform other devices fabricated using silicon and silicon carbide (SiC), but they have proven difficult to fabricate using standard methods. As a result, GaN power devices have been limited to horizontal-conducting low-voltage consumer electronics. Odyssey has developed a proprietary GaN processing technology to produce high-voltage power-switching devices that, it is claimed, can break down long-standing performance barriers for applications such as electric vehicles, solar inverters, industrial motors, and power grids.
The firm plans to provide engineering samples of the vertically conducting GaN product and start qualifications under the Joint Electron Device Engineering Council (JEDC) standard before the end of 2021.
Odyssey has also recently expanded its customer base using its foundry fabrication services. The team has experience supporting diverse semiconductor applications, including power devices, integrated optoelectronics, chemical sensing, and spectroscopy. The firm provides support to customers from prototype production to full foundry capabilities.
Odyssey names former MACOM executive Alex Behfar as executive chairman & acting CEO
Odyssey acquires fab to allow small-scale production over 10,000 wafers/year
