SBIR Phase I: Advancing HIgh-Power Diamond Devices Towards Commercialization

这项小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力是钻石技术的创新，将提高电动汽车的效率和可靠性，从而支持绿色技术的发展和减少二氧化碳排放。具体来说，金刚石二极管将使动力总成损失减少约三分之一，从而直接转化为电动汽车（EPV）续航里程增加10%。虽然金刚石二极管的影响是显著的，但这项技术的发展也旨在推进金刚石功率器件。额外的金刚石元件，如绝缘栅双极晶体管（igbt），将进一步提高电动汽车的效率和可靠性。此外，钻石的成功商业化最终将影响到除epv之外的许多电力市场：包括地热钻井、航空航天和电网中的转换器和逆变器；高频应用，如雷达和通信系统；以及与核工业和太空探索相关的极端环境电子产品，比如对金星的探索。该项目预计将为epv制造钻石自由旋转肖特基- pin二极管。这些设备将利用实验室生长的钻石来生产和测试PIN二极管。虽然最近已经开发出了能够制造这种结构的生长技术，但为了促进金刚石器件的可扩展性和商业化，仍需要进行许多创新。因此，在第一阶段，研究范围将包括以下活动，以制造用于电动汽车动力总成转换器和逆变器的金刚石二极管：(a)通过模拟演示金刚石自由旋转二极管的预期性能，(b)控制单晶金刚石层的掺杂浓度和厚度，(c)开发金刚石器件的可扩展制造和图图化工艺，(e)确定金刚石PIN二极管的电气特性，以及(f)研究封装金刚石PIN二极管的可靠性和可能的失效机制。金刚石器件用于电力应用的一个重大挑战将是实现成本平价。考虑到金刚石衬底的成本相对较高，创新的商业化策略将适应于保持较低的初始成本，使金刚石器件更快地实现成本平价。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is the innovation of diamond technologies that will enhance the efficiency and reliability of electric vehicles, thus supporting the development of green technology and reduction of CO2 emissions. Specifically, diamond diodes will reduce powertrain losses by about a third and thus directly translate into a 10% increase in electric power vehicle (EPV) range. While the impact of diamond diodes is significant, the development of this technology is also intended to advance diamond power devices. Additional diamond components - such as insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) - will increase the efficiency and reliability of electric vehicles even further. Moreover, the successful commercialization of diamond will ultimately affect many power markets in addition to EPVs: including converters and inverters in geothermal drilling, aerospace, and power grids; high-frequency applications such as radar and communication systems; and extreme environment electronics relevant to the nuclear industry and space exploration, such as the exploration of Venus.The proposed project expects the fabrication of diamond freewheeling Schottky-PIN diodes for EPVs. These devices will utilize lab-grown diamond to produce and test PIN diodes. While growth techniques have recently been developed to enable to the fabrication of such structures, much innovation is still needed to facilitate scalability and commercialization of diamond devices. Therefore, in Phase I, the scope of research will consist of the following activities to make diamond diodes for powertrain converters and inverters in EPVs: (a) demonstrate the expected performance of diamond freewheeling diodes using simulations, (b) control the doping concentrations and thickness of single-crystal diamond layers, (c) develop scalable fabrication and patterning processes for diamond devices, (e) determine electrical characteristics of diamond PIN diodes, and (f) investigate the reliability and possible failure mechanisms of packaged diamond PIN diodes. A significant challenge for diamond devices for power applications will be the achievement of cost parity. Considering the relatively high cost of diamond substrates, an innovative commercialization strategy will be adapted to keep initial costs low, allowing diamond devices to achieve cost parity faster.