At present, the third generation compound semiconductors represented by silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) are receiving more and more attention, and they will play the role of traditional silicon devices in future high-power, high-temperature, high-pressure applications Irreplaceable role. Especially in the future of one of the three major emerging application fields (automotive, 5G and Internet of Things), there will be very broad development prospects.
However, silicon carbide and gallium nitride are not the end points. Recently, gallium oxide (Ga2O3) has once again entered the public eye with its wider band gap than silicon carbide and gallium nitride. This compound semiconductor is used in higher power applications. It has unique advantages. Therefore, the research on gallium oxide has become hot again in recent years.
In fact, gallium oxide is not a new technology, many years ago, companies and research institutions conducted research on it in the field of power semiconductors, but in terms of actual application scenarios, it is not as widely used as silicon carbide and gallium nitride, so related R&D work The development was robbed by the latter. With the development and improvement of application requirements, the performance requirements of high-power devices are getting higher and higher in the future, which makes people see the advantages and prospects of gallium oxide, and the corresponding research and development work has increased. It has become the United States, Japan, Germany and other countries. Research focus and competition focus.
Earlier this year, Dr. Uttam Singisetti, associate professor of electrical engineering at the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Sciences at the University of Buffalo, and his students manufactured a 5 micron thick MOSFET made of gallium oxide.
The researchers said that the breakdown voltage of the transistor is 1850V, which is more than double that of gallium oxide semiconductors. Breakdown voltage is the amount of electricity required to convert a material from an insulator to a conductor. The higher the breakdown voltage, the higher the power that the device can handle.
Due to the relatively large size of the transistor, it is not suitable for smart-phones and other small devices. But it may help regulate the energy flow in large-scale operations, such as power plants that harvest solar and wind energy, as well as electric cars, trains, and airplanes. However, due to its poor thermal conductivity, the research needs to be deepened.
Recently, researchers from the University of Florida, the US Naval Research Laboratory and the Korean University are also studying Gallium oxide MOSFET. Stephen Pearton, a professor of materials science and engineering at the University of Florida, said they are studying the development potential of gallium oxide MOSFETs. Traditionally, these miniature electronic switches are made of silicon and are generally used in notebook computers, smart phones and other electronic products.
For systems like electric vehicle charging stations, the need to be able to operate at higher power levels than silicon-based devices, and gallium oxide MOSFETs may be the solution. To implement these advanced MOSFETs, the team identified the need to improve the gate dielectric and thermal management methods to release heat from the device more efficiently.
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