Challenges for energy efficient wide band gap semiconductor power devices. Issue 9 (5th May 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Roccaforte, Fabrizio; Fiorenza, Patrick; Greco, Giuseppe; Nigro, Raffaella Lo; Giannazzo, Filippo; Patti, Alfonso; Saggio, Mario
• Is Part Of: Physica status solidi. Volume 211:Issue 9(2014:Sep.)
• Page Start: 2063
• Page End: 2071
• Publication Date: 2014-05-05
• Subjects: Solid state physics -- Periodicals; Solids -- Industrial applications -- Periodicals; 530.41
• DOI: 10.1002/pssa.201300558
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1862-6300

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <sec id="pssa201300558-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <p>Wide band gap semiconductors, and in particular silicon carbide (4H‐SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN), are very promising materials for the next generation of power electronics, to guarantee an improved energy efficiency of devices and modules. As a matter of fact, in the last decade intensive academic and industrial research efforts have resulted in the demonstration of both 4H‐SiC MOSFETs and GaN HEMTs exhibiting <inline-formula><alternatives><inline-graphic mimetype="image" xlink:href="ark:/27927/pgh18002wqp" xlink:type="simple" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" /><mml:math altimg="urn:x-wiley:18626300:media:pssa201300558:pssa201300558-math-0001" display="inline" overflow="scroll" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:msubsup><mml:mi>V</mml:mi><mml:mi mathvariant="normal">B</mml:mi><mml:mn>2</mml:mn></mml:msubsup></mml:mrow></mml:math></alternatives></inline-formula>/<italic>R</italic><sub>on</sub> performances well beyond the silicon limits.</p> <p>In this paper, some of the present scientific challenges for SiC and GaN power devices technology are reviewed. In particular, the topics selected in this work will be the SiO<sub>2</sub>/SiC interface passivation processes to improve the channel mobility in 4H‐SiC MOSFETs, the current trends for gate dielectrics in GaN technology and the viable routes to obtain normally‐off HEMTs.</p> </sec> </abstract>