Gallium-Nitride Dynamic On Resistance Measurements
Abstract
Over the past decade, the National Security Institute (NSI) at Virginia Tech (which includes the Ted and Karyn Hume Center for National Security and Technology (#Hume#)) has worked to integrate the educational objectives of the university with advanced research in support of our national defense partners. Key innovation areas at Hume include software-defined platforms for a variety of DoD/IC missions, development of special communications waveforms, adaptation of machine learning techniques to RF systems, and unique SATCOM-oriented mission capabilities. In all of these areas, the NSI emphasizes hands-on applied research at the TRL 3-6 maturity range, which incorporates cleared/clearable U.S. citizen faculty and students in order to support research objectives of the DoD and IC, while simultaneously performing workforce development for the next generation of enduring STEM talent. In fact, our student surveys show nearly 75% of the NSI/Hume students choosing to support our collective national defense, consistent with Virginia Tech#s motto, Ut Prosim (#That I may serve#).Within the NSI, the Spectrum Dominance Division consists of 20 faculty members and ~170 students undertaking experiential learning activities. SDD has traditionally focused on the DoD#s assured access to RF spectrum, with partners andfielded research results in every DoD service. More recently, we have expanded our portfolio and faculty expertise to include analog hardware and power electronics as extensions to help our DoD customer base integrate our research results into higher TRL systems.This proposal focuses on a fundamental innovation tied to our work in power electronics for radar, electronic warfare, and autonomous / electric vehicle research, where we are beginning to leverage high bandgap electronics like Gallium Nitride (GaN) to achieve high efficiency power switching. These immediate opportunities also leverage growing engagement with researchers at Sandia National Labs to characterize the lifetime and physical stresses of over- driving GaN devices via dynamic on resistance, with our intent of this DURIP being to replicate a common measurement testbed that supports high-speed automated IV curve creation. This high- speed measurement infrastructure will be networked and married to our existing CUI-controlled high performance computing (HPC) cluster, which will support both traditional characterization techniques and planned goals for real-time use of machine learning techniques. Applications of the high bandgap materials include unmanned aerial and underwater platforms, electric vehicles (DC-DC converters), EW frontends, rad-hard electronics for space-based platforms, and power amplifiers across the entire RF spectrum.The requested testbed willalso tangentially support current and ongoing projects related to physically uncloneable function (PUF)-based hardware security, automotive cybersecurity, and secure Internet of Things research. We see this high-speed semiconductor testbed as an enabler to research being performed for existing DoD partners, as well as a further capability for maturing deliverables for research sponsors at NRL, ONR, ONI, NSWC Crane, NSWC Dahlgren, Army RCO, Army C5ISR, DIA/ODNI, and a host of industry partners. Moreover, the higher TRL re-search results enabled by the testbed will accelerate technology transition of power electronics and EW/radar algorithms, deliveredwith Government Purpose Rights, lowering overall costs. The requested $153K testbed complements approximately $4M in related DoD/university investment in hardware testbeds at RB1311.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Feb 06, 2023
- Source ID
- N000142312251
Entities
People
- Alan J. Michaels
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy
- Virginia Tech