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Edge termination is the enabling building block of power devices to exploit the high breakdown field of wide bandgap (WBG) and ultra-wide bandgap (UWBG) semiconductors. This work presents a heterogeneous junction termination extension (JTE) based on p-type nickel oxide (NiO) for gallium oxide (Ga2O3) devices. Distinct from prior JTEs usually made by implantation or etch, this NiO JTE is deposited on the surface of Ga2O3 by magnetron sputtering. The JTE consists of multiple NiO layers with various lengths to allow for a graded decrease in effective charge density away from the device active region. Moreover, this surface JTE has broad design window and process latitude, and its efficiency is drift-layer agnostic. The physics of this NiO JTE is validated by experimental applications into NiO/Ga2O3 p–n diodes fabricated on two Ga2O3 wafers with different doping concentrations. The JTE enables a breakdown voltage over 3.2 kV and a consistent parallel-plate junction field of 4.2 MV/cm in both devices, rendering a power figure of merit of 2.5–2.7 GW/cm2. These results show the great promise of the deposited JTE as a flexible, near ideal edge termination for WBG and UWBG devices, particularly those lacking high-quality homojunctions.more » « less
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Abstract Power semiconductor devices are fundamental drivers for advances in power electronics, the technology for electric energy conversion. Power devices based on wide-bandgap (WBG) and ultra-wide bandgap (UWBG) semiconductors allow for a smaller chip size, lower loss and higher frequency compared with their silicon (Si) counterparts, thus enabling a higher system efficiency and smaller form factor. Amongst the challenges for the development and deployment of WBG and UWBG devices is the efficient dissipation of heat, an unavoidable by-product of the higher power density. To mitigate the performance limitations and reliability issues caused by self-heating, thermal management is required at both device and package levels. Packaging in particular is a crucial milestone for the development of any power device technology; WBG and UWBG devices have both reached this milestone recently. This paper provides a timely review of the thermal management of WBG and UWBG power devices with an emphasis on packaged devices. Additionally, emerging UWBG devices hold good promise for high-temperature applications due to their low intrinsic carrier density and increased dopant ionization at elevated temperatures. The fulfillment of this promise in system applications, in conjunction with overcoming the thermal limitations of some UWBG materials, requires new thermal management and packaging technologies. To this end, we provide perspectives on the relevant challenges, potential solutions and research opportunities, highlighting the pressing needs for device–package electrothermal co-design and high-temperature packages that can withstand the high electric fields expected in UWBG devices.
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The characteristics of NiO/
β -(Al0.21Ga0.79)2O3/Ga2O3 heterojunction lateral geometry rectifiers with the epitaxial layers grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition were measured over a temperature range from 25 °C–225 °C. The forward current increased with temperature, while the on-state resistance decreased from 360 Ω.cm2at 25 °C to 30 Ω.cm2at 225 °C. The forward turn-on voltage was reduced from 4 V at 25 °C to 1.9 V at 225 °C. The reverse breakdown voltage at room temperature was ∼4.2 kV, with a temperature coefficient of −16.5 V K−1. This negative temperature coefficient precludes avalanche being the breakdown mechanism and indicates that defects still dominate the reverse conduction characteristics. The corresponding power figures-of-merit were 0.27–0.49 MW.cm−2. The maximum on/off ratios improved with temperature from 2105 at 25 °C to 3 × 107 at 225 °C when switching from 5 V forward to 0 V. The high temperature performance of the NiO/β -(Al0.21Ga0.79)2O3/Ga2O3 lateral rectifiers is promising if the current rate of optimization continues. -
NiO/β-(Al x Ga 1− x ) 2 O 3 /Ga 2 O 3 heterojunction lateral geometry rectifiers with diameter 50–100 μm exhibited maximum reverse breakdown voltages >7 kV, showing the advantage of increasing the bandgap using the β-(Al x Ga 1− x ) 2 O 3 alloy. This Si-doped alloy layer was grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition with an Al composition of ∼21%. On-state resistances were in the range of 50–2180 Ω cm 2 , leading to power figures-of-merit up to 0.72 MW cm −2 . The forward turn-on voltage was in the range of 2.3–2.5 V, with maximum on/off ratios >700 when switching from 5 V forward to reverse biases up to −100 V. Transmission line measurements showed the specific contact resistance was 0.12 Ω cm 2 . The breakdown voltage is among the highest reported for any lateral geometry Ga 2 O 3 -based rectifier.more » « less
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Although commercial binder jetting (BJ) printers are available, they typically do not allow sufficient control over process parameters needed to study fundamental process characteristics. This work presents an overview of the design and construction of a custom BJ system used to observe fundamental phenomena in the BJ process. CAD models for the design and information on the software of this system is also given. This system will help elucidate the mechanisms that introduce part defects and other challenges unique to the BJ process. The BJ system was designed for both laboratory-scale experiments with a 100 x 100 mm build box and high-speed synchrotron X-ray imaging with a 500 μm thick powder bed, requiring high-accuracy motion stages and a controller with precise timing. The printer includes functionality for depositing and rolling powder, printing multi-layer parts, and direct observation of the jetting nozzle. This BJ system has enabled experiments that provide insight into the printing process that will aid future efforts to mitigate challenges associated with BJ.more » « less