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Indian technology ministry reveals GaN plans

Indian technology ministry reveals GaN plans

Wide-bandgap electronics could become part of the fast-growing Indian economy, as the country's technology ministry details its future goals.

India could be the next stop for the compound semiconductor industry, with the development of GaN electronics on the agenda.

The Indian government, whose fast-growing economy already has a strong focus on information technology, is planning to set up advanced electronics centers in Mumbai (previously Bombay) and Bangalore.

Nanoelectronics centers are to be set up at the Indian Institute of Technology in Bombay (IITB) and the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore (IISc). Both will operate under the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology’s Microelectronics and Nanotechnology Development Program.

If the proposals are approved by the relevant Indian authorities, a wide range of technologies will be developed at these two centers, including research into GaN devices at IITB. Work at the IISc is set to include development of rare-earth metal oxides for advanced MOS gate dielectrics.

Other areas under investigation that could involve III-V materials include core photonics technologies for system integration of optical amplifiers, as well as power semiconductor devices and microwave engineering.

According to a Ministry of Information Technology document, the Indian government will also support research projects to develop electronic materials for devices used in display, data storage and microwave applications.

Facilities for characterizing electronic materials, and for prototyping and testing devices, will also be set up if the plan gets the go-ahead.

This article is written by K. Balachander. He works for Philips lighting as a Planning & Development Manager.

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