I-Corps: Aluminum Nitride-based Power Transistors

I-Corps：氮化铝基功率晶体管

• 批准号: 1933825
• 负责人: Debdeep Jena
• 金额: $ 5万
• 依托单位: Cornell University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2019-06-15 至 2019-11-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1933825&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Corps; Aluminum; Nitride; based; Power

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is to expand the limits of high-frequency, high-power signal amplification. This will be necessary for future wireless communications systems, including sixth generation (6G) wireless technology. 6G will require higher operation frequencies to enable much faster data transmission. As frequency increases, signal strength diminishes over much shorter distances. To offset this issue, signals must also be transmitted at higher powers to be able to carry the signal the necessary distance. The demand for this combination of high-power, high-frequency is expected to continue to grow, and the devices developed here are designed to achieve such performance. High-power, high-frequency data transmission is also an issue for self-driving cars. High-frequency signals enable detailed, real time mapping of a car's surroundings. High-power ensures the signal can travel through rain and fog, and return to the car before weakening beyond detection. The devices developed here can enable more detailed mapping at a longer range to make self-driving cars smarter and safer.This i-Corps project develops aluminum nitride (AlN) as a new platform for gallium nitride (GaN) transistors. The material advantages of an aluminum nitride platform over the traditional GaN platform are two-fold. AlN is much more electrically resistive than GaN, which prevents undesired leakage currents that hurt device performance. At the same time, the thermal conductivity of AlN is approximately 50% larger than that of GaN. The result is more efficient heat dissipation, enabling device operation at higher power. The research behind AlN-based power transistors is focused on crystal growth and device fabrication. Optimized crystal growth enables high quality AlN and GaN, improving device performance. The as-grown crystal is then processed into transistors, which requires state-of-the-art fabrication tools and refined processes. The AlN transistors have demonstrated high breakdown voltages when compared to state-of-the-art GaN-based transistors, a key measure for power performance.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

该I-Corps项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是扩大高频，高功率信号扩增的限制。这对于未来的无线通信系统（包括第六代（6G）无线技术）是必需的。 6G将需要更高的操作频率以实现更快的数据传输。随着频率的增加，信号强度在较短的距离上会降低。为了抵消此问题，还必须以更高的力量传输信号，以便能够以必要的距离携带信号。预计高功率，高频的组合的需求将继续增长，此处开发的设备旨在实现此类性能。高功率，高频数据传输也是自动驾驶汽车的问题。高频信号可以详细绘制汽车周围环境的实时映射。高功率确保信号可以通过雨水和雾气传播，并在削弱被发现之前返回汽车。此处开发的设备可以使更详细的映射在更长的范围内使自动驾驶汽车更加聪明，更安全。该I-Corps项目开发了氮化铝（ALN），成为氮化凝剂（GAN）晶体管的新平台。氮化铝平台比传统的GAN平台的物质优势是两个方面。 ALN比GAN更具电阻，后者防止了损害设备性能的不想要的泄漏电流。同时，ALN的热导率比GAN大约50％。结果是更有效的散热，使设备以更高的功率运行。基于ALN的功率晶体管背后的研究集中在晶体生长和装置制造上。优化的晶体生长可实现高质量的ALN和GAN，从而提高了设备​​性能。然后将生长的晶体加工到晶体管中，这需要最先进的制造工具和精制过程。与最先进的基于GAN的晶体管相比，ALN晶体管表现出很高的分解电压，这是对电力性能的关键措施。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并被认为是通过基金会的智力优点和更广泛的影响来通过评估来获得支持的审查标准。