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The first generation of semiconductor materials is mainly represented by silicon (Si) and germanium (Ge), which began to rise in the 1950s. Germanium was dominant in the early days and was mainly used in low-voltage, low-frequency, medium-power transistors and photodetectors, but due to its poor high temperature resistance and radiation resistance, it was gradually replaced by silicon devices in the late 1960s. Silicon is still the main semiconductor material in the field of microelectronics due to its high technological maturity and cost advantages.

Semiconductor materials can be divided into three generations according to the time sequence. The first generation of germanium, silicon and other common monomaterials, which is characterised by convenient switching, generally used in integrated circuits. The second generation of gallium arsenide, indium phosphide and other compound semiconductors, mainly used for light-emitting and communication materials.

Defect-free epitaxial growth occurs when one crystal lattice has nearly identical lattice constants to another. Growth happens when lattice sites of the two lattices at the interface region are approximately matched, which is possible with a small lattice mismatch (less than 0.1%). This approximate matching is achieved even with elastic strain at the interface, where each atom is slightly displaced from its original position in the boundary layer. While a small amount of strain is tolerable for thin layers and even desirable for quantum well lasers, the strain energy stored in the crystal is generally lowered by the formation of misfit dislocations, which involve a missing row of atoms in one lattice.

GaN materials gained prominence following the awarding of the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics for blue LEDs. Initially entering the public eye through fast-charging applications in consumer electronics, GaN-based power amplifiers and RF devices have also quietly emerged as critical components in 5G base stations. In recent years, GaN-based automotive-grade power devices have shown promise, potentially opening new growth avenues for GaN material applications.

In the landscape of wide bandgap semiconductor materials, silicon carbide (SiC) has emerged as a highly regarded material, particularly excelling in the high-power conversion domain.

As a wide-bandgap (WBG) semiconductor material, SiC's wider energy difference gives it higher thermal and electronic properties compared to traditional Si. This feature enables power devices to operate at higher temperatures, frequencies and voltages.