Cubic Gallium Nitride on Silicon as a Scalable Platform forAdvanced Power Electronics
Abstract
Gallium Nitride (GaN) semiconductors are emerging as the backbone materials for the next generation wide bandgap devices. Current research on GaN materials has been focusing on hexagonal (six-fold symmetry) (h-) crystals because of the natural crystallization of III-nitrides in that form. Thus, GaN transistors with hexagonal phase are driving the next generation power systems. Although recentuse of GaN electronics in photovoltaic inverters shows advantages such as two-thirds reduction in system volumes, inherent polarization-fields in III-nitrides create challenges such as normally-off operation, which bottlenecks safe operation in power electronics,and limits advanced power electronic devices such as superjunction power devices. Such problems are inherent to naturally-occurring h-phase GaN materials and devices, fueling the research for the development of novel cubic-phase GaN materials and devices. In this proposal, using the PI#s patented novel silicon-integrated platform, the PI proposes to explore structural and electronic properties of cubic GaN materials to assess their thickness-dependent phase stability and defect density, carrier mobility, background concentration, doping controland study the avalanche behavior to lay foundations for superjunction power electronics. The PI seeks a revolutionary research initiative of using wide bandgap (WBG) cubic GaN-based transistors (bandgap of 3.2 eV and critical electric fieldof 5 � 106 MV/cm) with at least 2 #mthickness and help create visionary power architectures for advanced power applications.* Approved for Public Release
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- May 15, 2023
- Source ID
- N000142312423
Entities
People
- Can Bayram
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy
- University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign