1. Turkey’s First Chip Factory: AB MicroNano
GE 301 – Science Technology & Society
Turkey’s First Chip Factory: AB MicroNano

2. Aselsan/Bilkent MicroNano
$30 billion investment
One of 5 factories that can do mass production
Production started in 2016
Defense, Space and Communication Industries

3. Production Lines: 5G cellular networks Spacecraft circuits
Power Electronics
Electronic Warfare

4. Timeline: Semiconductor History
Transistor Invented at Bell Labs
Silicon based IC fabrication began (Fairchild Semiconductor Co.)
1964 – 1st Commercial Metal-Ox-Semiconductor (MOS) IC Introduced
1993 – 1st GaN Transistors (GaN MESFET)
New method for Creating GaN Crystals (enhance-mode trans)
GaN chip production cost falls below Silicon based chips
Google establishes subsidiary for GaN based driverless cars
AB MicroNano founded in Turkey

5. What is GaN?
Gallium nitride (GaN) is a binary III/V direct bandgap semiconductor commonly used in light-emitting diodes since the 1990s. The compound is a very hard material that has a Wurtzite crystal structure. Its wide band gap of 3.4 eV affords it special properties for applications in optoelectronic, high-power and high-frequency devices. For example, GaN is the substrate which makes violet (405 nm) laser diodes possible, without use of nonlinear optical frequency- doubling.

6. Why GaN Semiconductors?
Energy Efficient
Power Electronics
High speed Processes
Reduce physical dimensions
Durability
Space radiation
Heat
Physical Stress

7. Turkey’s First Chip Factory
What are the socio-technical factors that lead to a paradigm shift in scientific and industrial development of semiconductors?
Turkey’s First Chip Factory

8. Research Approach
Research Done
STS Theories Used
History & Technological Momentum of Silicon Semiconductors
GaN Semiconductor Uses & Market
Interview with Prof. Dr. Ekmel Özbay - Director of AB MicroNano
Technological Momentum
Paradigm Shift
Actor Network Theory
Moore’s Law

9. Key points: Interview GaN is already used in the industry.
LEDs
Car collision Prevention Systems (Expensive, 60 GHz processing)
Power Transmission Networks
Physical Advantages over Silicon:
Efficiency over 95 % (Silicon: 80 %)
Durable in extreme conditions
Smaller chip size
Government Restrictions:
Restricted importing. Cannot export products using GaN chips.
No missile production over range of 150 km.
Cannot resell, reverse engineer, improve the product.

10. Key points Cont. Comments on Practical Use: Other notes:
All sorts of Power Electronics, removes transformers
5G network currently being developed
Radar systems being built for Aselsan
Energy loss in transmission minimized
Other notes:
Supplements silicon based circuits
IP slows down the momentum of the development, but we can secure the edge in industry.
GaN is not good in some areas.

11. Key points: GaN Market
Locally produced chips creates an entire market for GaN based products.
Market includes driverless cars, military technology and mobile devices.
Expected to boost the economy in the near future.
Products can be exported to improve foreign exchange.

12. Conclusion

13. ¿Questions & Comments?