CAREER: Thermal Engineering of Nitride Semiconductor Devices

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CAREER: Thermal Engineering Of Nitride Semiconductor DevicesThe development of gallium nitride (GaN) as a semiconductor material has been heralded for its potential use in optoelectronic and power semiconductor applications. GaN semiconductors are poised to make large contributions to the advancement of RF-communications systems as well as solid state lighting. A potential saving $40 billion per year in energy consumed by lighting is expected by 2025. While early laboratory demonstrations have clearly shown the potential revolutionary effects of GaN semiconductors, reliability issues arise from localized heating and poor heat dissipation in these devices. The Intellectual Merit of this research program is to provide fundamental knowledge of the thermal transport properties of GaN semiconductors and increase the accuracy of thermal transport models for devices. Models will be verified through measurements of temperature distribution in both solid state lighting and rf-communication devices fabricated in this program. The knowledge gained in this program will lead to more efficient thermal management schemes which will enable high power devices for future applications. This project will achieve Broad Impact by enhancing Georgia Tech's efforts to develop programs in microscale heat transfer and nitride semiconductor technology. The educational plan will develop of a graduate course on the thermal metrology and property characterization of nitride semiconductor devices. In addition, students will be exposed to a broad set of technical and cultural experiences through joint collaborations and technical exchanges. The outreach plan will be focused on the development of a six week course module in mechanical engineering for a Pre-engineering course in the magnet program at Westlake High School. This course module will be disseminated to a broader audience by Georgia Tech through the NSF Digital Library for Engineering (Teach Engineering: Resources for K-12).