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Abstract The power electronics charging the battery or driving the motor is often the limiting factor for cost and efficiency. In the race for lowering electric vehicle (EV) costs and enabling widespread adoption, careful design of the power electronics is key. EV manufacturers spend a significant amount of effort in evaluating various power-conversion circuit topologies and various power switches to optimize the cost and efficiency of the EV. The right power electronics material can enable improvement in range as well as reduction in size, weight, and cost. This article discusses the essential role of power electronics in EVs and introduces potential materials capable of meeting these requirements, shedding light on their respective advantages and limitations in addressing the evolving needs of power electronics in the context of EVs. Graphical abstract 

We report the epitaxial growth of (010) β-(AlxGa1−x)2O3 using tritertiarybutylaluminum (TTBAl) as an aluminum gas precursor in a hybrid molecular beam epitaxy (h-MBE) system. In conventional MBE systems, a thermal effusion cell is typically used to supply Al. However, in an oxide MBE system, using a conventional Al effusion cell can cause difficulties due to the oxidation of the Al source during growth. This often requires breaking the vacuum frequently to reload Al. Our approach utilizes TTBAl, a gaseous Al source, via a h-MBE to circumvent the oxidation issues associated with traditional solid Al sources. We investigated the growth conditions of β-(AlxGa1−x)2O3, varying TTBAl supply and growth temperature. For this purpose, we utilized both elemental Ga and Ga-suboxide as Ga precursors. Controllable and repeatable growth of β-(AlxGa1−x)2O3 with Al compositions ranging from 1% to 25% was achieved. The impurity incorporation and crystal quality of the resulting β-(AlxGa1−x)2O3 films were also studied. Using TTBAl as a gaseous precursor in h-MBE has proven to maintain stable Al supply, enabling the controlled growth of high-quality β-(AlxGa1−x)2O3 films. 

In the present study, thermal stability of α-Ga2O3 under vacuum and ambient pressure conditions was investigated in situ by x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It was observed that the thermal stability of α-Ga2O3 increased by 200 °C when pressure was lowered from an atmospheric to a vacuum level. This finding can be explained by oxygen diffusion under different oxygen partial pressures. In addition, in situ TEM imaging revealed that, once past the decomposition temperature, the onset of phase change propagates from the top crystal surface and accumulates strain, eventually resulting in a fractural film. The mechanism of α-Ga2O3 to β-Ga2O3 transition is evaluated through experiments and is discussed in this manuscript. 

Obtaining uniform silicon concentration, especially with low concentrations (ranging from 1 × 1016 to 1 × 1018 cm−3) by molecular beam epitaxy, has been challenging due to oxidation of a silicon solid source in the oxide environment. In this work, Si doping of β-Ga2O3 (010) films by diluted disilane as the Si source is investigated using hybrid plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. The impact of growth temperature, disilane source concentration, and disilane flow rate on Si incorporation was studied by secondary ion mass spectrometry. Uniform Si concentrations ranging from 3 × 1016 to 2 × 1019 cm−3 are demonstrated. Si-doped β-Ga2O3 films with different silicon concentrations were grown on Fe-doped β-Ga2O3 (010) substrates. The electron concentration and mobility were determined using van de Pauw Hall measurements. A high mobility of 135 cm2/V s was measured for an electron concentration of 3.4 × 1017 cm−3 at room temperature. 

Ultra-wide-bandgap (UWBG) semiconductors, such as Ga2O3 and diamond, have been attracting increasing attention owing to their potential to realize high-performance power devices with high breakdown voltage and low on-resistance beyond those of SiC and GaN. Among numerous UWBG semiconductors, this work focuses on the corundum-structured α-Ga2O3, which is a metastable polymorph of Ga2O3. The large bandgap energy of 5.3 eV, a large degree of freedom in band engineering, and availability of isomorphic p-type oxides to form a hetero p–n junction make α-Ga2O3 an attractive candidate for power device applications. Promising preliminary prototype device structures have been demonstrated without advanced edge termination despite the high dislocation density in the epilayers owing to the absence of native substrates and lattice-matched foreign substrates. In this Perspective, we present an overview of the research and development of α-Ga2O3 for power device applications and discuss future research directions.