1200 V/50 A AlGaN-GaN-Si MOS-HFETs and Schottky Rectifiers

DoEs recent emphasis on increasing fuel economy requires electrification of the vehicle powertrain, thus leading to extended range electric vehicles (EREVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), battery electric vehicles (BEV) and fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV). All electric propulsion systems require high current, high-voltage (600 V-1200 V), low-loss power semiconductor switches. Present electric vehicle systems rely exclusively on silicon-based power management, which is stymied by the limitations of the Si semiconductor platform, including high switching losses, modest operation capability ( & lt;125 C), and large module footprint, especially at 1200 V ratings. The GaN-on-Si platform offers the greatest potential for overcoming these limitations, yet a power device technology that fully exploits the superior performance advantages of the GaN-Si platform has not been developed. Through a combination of novel epitaxial growth, ingenious, yet robust device designs and process technology, the GeneSiC-Cornell team proposes 1200 V/50 A-class AlGaN/GaN-Si MOS-HFETs, designed to fully exploit the theoretical 100x and 10x performance advantages of the GaN-Si platform over Si and SiC, respectively. Phase I of this proposed work will focus on the optimization of the device designs and process technology of 1200 V/50 A AlGaN/GaN-Si MOS-HFETs with threshold voltage & gt; 2 V, low Gate and Drain leakage of & lt; 1 A/mm at 1000 V, low output capacitance & lt; 5 pF/mm and low AC/DC dynamic on-resistance ratio & lt;1.5. The novel GaN-Si power devices to be developed during this program will push the envelope in terms of operating temperature, frequency and circuit efficiencies of power electronics used in a host of applications. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits: This research will usher a new generation of high-voltage GaN-on-Si power integrated circuits, which will find widespread application in utility-scale power conversion. Successful implementation of the proposed technology will dramatically improve the performance and reliability of power electronics in electric vehicles, power supplies, and renewable energy applications. This in turn will increase market acceptance of these high-end products and thereby drive jobs creation in the US.