GaN epitaxial layers have now been grown on TekSiC’s semi-insulating SiC wafers by project partners. That lets researchers at Chalmers University of Technology start building RF and power HEMT devices from the epi material, a key step in the Swedish startup’s push toward Europe’s first domestic supply of the substrate.
Semi-insulating SiC differs from the conductive n-type material in automotive power electronics. Its high resistivity makes it essential for GaN HEMT transistors used in RF amplifiers, satellite links, radar and electronic warfare. TekSiC, founded in 2021, built its own Physical Vapor Transport reactor, Xforge, now industrialized and sold commercially, plus an in-house pilot line covering slicing, polishing and characterization.
Swedish government funding backs the work through the Semiconductor, A Swedish Value Chain project, launched in March 2025 and coordinated by Innovative Materials Arena. The company has already demonstrated high-resistivity properties in its wafers, and the next milestone is full HEMT structures on its substrates, with customer validation samples planned by mid-2027. Joachim Tollstoy, TekSiC’s CEO, argues the company’s end-to-end control, from consumables to reactors, is what lets it guarantee critical supply for Europe’s space and defense sectors.
