The Company
Kyma Technologies, Inc. (Kyma) was spun out of North Carolina State University in 1998 to pursue the development of gallium nitride (GaN) substrate materials for a broad range of high-performance nitride semiconductor device applications. Most current nitride semiconductor devices are fabricated from foreign substrates such as sapphire and silicon carbide, and GaN substrates have the potential to enable important improvements in device performance, reliability, and cost.

Mission Statement
Kyma Technologies is a leading supplier of high-quality gallium-nitride (GaN) substrates and related products and services for a broad range of high-performance nitride semiconductor device applications.

Our Name
Kyma is the Greek word representing "wave". It describes the characteristics of a wide range of natural phenomena, from ocean waves to sound waves. That the term “wave” is used for new things (i.e., new-wave) and for naturally occurring phenomena is appropriate: Kyma's native GaN substrate represents both a new choice for our customers and a natural choice as native GaN is the natural substrate to use for III-N device applications. Moreover, the improved device properties that Kyma's substrates enable amount to the ability to better transmit and detect electro-magnetic waves via better optoelectronic and electronic devices.

Products
Kyma's high purity GaN substrate allows GaN-based device manufacturers to eliminate processing steps and improve device quality over those grown on other substrates, such as sapphire and silicon carbide. Gallium nitride substrates are matched in lattice constant and thermal expansion properties for epitaxial growth of doped GaN layers needed for fabrication of GaN-based devices. Use of native GaN substrates eliminates the stress and defects that are induced by growing GaN epi-layers on non-nitride substrates, in turn resulting in a lower cost and higher yield device fabrication process and increased device performance and reliability.

Markets and Applications
The market for gallium nitride based semiconductor devices is projected to surpass $25B by 2015 and is associated with a broad range of applications including wireless base station power amplifiers, power switching devices, solid state lighting, optical storage lasers, projection display optoelectronics, ultraviolet water and air purification, and chemical and bioagent optical sensing.

Technology
Kyma Technologies has developed a patent-protected process for cost-effective manufacturing of boules of native single-crystal gallium nitride from which native single-crystal gallium nitride substrates are sliced and polished. Key intellectual property held by Kyma enables a more reproducible boule growth process that translates to higher manufacturing efficiencies. Additionally, Kyma's native crystal growth process is capable of high growth rates and utilizes a cost-effective, proprietary crystal growth equipment design.

The world of silicon, gallium arsenide, and indium phosphide semiconductor devices relies on the underlying and supporting native substrate technology. Those native substrates are fabricated using a true boule growth process which is required to reach a competitive manufacturing cost structure and a competitive product quality. Native gallium nitride substrates are expected to become just as important for III-N device technologies but only once such a true boule growth process is developed. Kyma Technologies is a clear leader in development of a commercially viable true boule growth process for manufacturing native gallium nitride substrates.

Financing
As a privately held company, Kyma is supported by a variety of financial resources, including institutional venture capital, angel investors, and numerous Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract awards. To date, Kyma has closed almost $10 million in funding.