China’s Henan provincial government website revealed that Zhengzhou High-tech Zone signed an investment agreement with Sino Powder (Henan) on June 26, establishing the company’s ultra wide bandgap semiconductor material production base.

The project is described as China’s first integrated ultra wide bandgap semiconductor industrial chain, filling a key gap in Henan’s superhard materials ecosystem by extending into high-end semiconductor substrates. Home to one of the world’s largest synthetic diamond industrial clusters, Henan aims to leverage the project to accelerate the transition of its traditional diamond industry toward advanced semiconductor materials.

Ultra wide bandgap semiconductors are based on ultra wide bandgap materials such as diamond and gallium oxide, which offer exceptional physical properties including a wide bandgap, high breakdown electric field, and superior thermal conductivity. Often referred to as the “ultimate semiconductor materials,” they are expected to support applications ranging from AI chip thermal management and 5G/6G communications to electric vehicle power electronics and advanced biomedical equipment.

With a total investment of CNY 1.5 billion (approximately USD 210 million), the project will build a complete industrial chain spanning equipment manufacturing, single-crystal growth, epitaxy processing, and packaging substrates, leveraging the company’s proprietary LPPHT micro/nanodiamond production technology. The facility will be equipped with 500 MPCVD systems for mass production of 2-inch to 4-inch single-crystal diamond wafers, alongside 50 production lines for spherical diamond powder.

Under the construction roadmap, the first 200 MPCVD systems are scheduled to enter operation by the end of 2026. Once fully ramped, the project is expected to generate annual output value of approximately CNY 3 billion within three years.

Backed by Central South University, Sino Powder is among the few Chinese companies capable of providing a fully localized supply chain for diamond semiconductor materials. Earlier this March, the company established its ultra wide bandgap semiconductor materials R&D center in Zhengzhou High-tech Zone. The newly signed production base marks the next step from laboratory research to industrial-scale manufacturing.

According to the project leader, the facility will focus on the commercialization of micro- and nanodiamond semiconductor materials while addressing the key challenge of large-scale production of high-end diamond substrates.

(Photo credit: FREEPIK)