News: Microelectronics
29 August 2024
Cornell and Lit Thinking working on DARPA-funded project to develop AlN-based PiN diodes with low on-state resistance
Aided by a grant from the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), researchers at Cornell University – in collaboration with Lit Thinking of Orlando, FL, US – are working to overcome some of the key technical challenges that have limited the widespread adoption of aluminium nitride (AlN) as a next-generation semiconductor material.
As an ultrawide-bandgap semiconductor material, aluminium nitride is recognized for its thermal conductivity, high breakdown voltage and strong electric field tolerance, making it suitable for high-power and high-frequency electronic devices. Achieving ultralow resistance in PiN diodes – which help semiconductors handle high voltages and currents – is crucial for improving efficiency and performance.
The Cornell-led project will focus on developing AlN-based PiN diodes with extremely low on-state electrical resistance, reducing power loss and heat generation in high-power applications.
“Because aluminium nitride is normally an excellent electrical insulator, making it conductive holds the key to exploiting its amazing properties” says principal investigator Debdeep Jena, the David E. Burr Professor in electrical and computer engineering and in materials science and engineering. “In this DARPA program, our interdisciplinary team is investigating several new ideas to unlock the potential of this ultrawide-bandgap semiconductor.”
Co-principal investigators from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering include Huili Grace Xing (the William L. Quackenbush Professor in electrical and computer engineering); Michael Thompson (the Dwight C. Baum Professor); Hari Nair (assistant research professor); and Leo Schowalter (chief technology officer of Lit Thinking and a visiting professor).
Picture: Cornell researchers in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering involved in the project, including (from left) Leo Schowalter (CTO of Lit Thinking and a visiting professor); Debdeep Jena (the David E. Burr Professor in electrical and computer engineering); Huili Grace Xing (the William L. Quackenbush Professor in electrical and computer engineering); Hari Nair (assistant research professor); and Michael Thompson (the Dwight C. Baum Professor).
The project will build on research published earlier this year by Jena and Xing, who demonstrated p–n heterojunction diodes through distributed polarization doping to achieve properties that are not possible in standard diodes.
“Aluminium nitride semiconductor substrates have also recently enabled the realization of the very first deep ultraviolet diode lasers,” notes Schowalter. “This project has the potential to enable similar revolutionary electronic devices in the near future, including cost-effective far-UVC optoelectronic sources for safe disinfection of public spaces.”
The grant is part of the DARPA Microsystems Technology Office’s Ultra-Wide BandGap Semiconductors program, which aims to develop materials for commercial applications including high-power radio frequency devices for radar and communications systems, high-voltage switches for power electronics, high-temperature electronics and sensors for extreme environments, and deep ultraviolet light-emitting diodes and lasers.
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