Collaborative Research: FuSe: Heterogeneous Integration of III-Nitride and Boron Arsenide for Enhanced Thermal and Electronic Performance

非技术描述：半导体器件是当代信息、交通和能源技术的关键组件。半导体行业面临的重大挑战之一是将半导体器件消耗的大量电能转化为发热，这会导致局部热点并降低器件性能和可靠性。由于最近在体半导体砷化硼（BAs）晶体生长方面取得的进展，其导热效率比当前一代半导体材料高得多，该研究项目追求BAs衬底与其他半导体元件的异质集成，以解决热管理和能源效率方面的挑战。该项目的一个具体目标是实现两种类型的半导体，BA和氮化镓（GaN）的功能集成到一个平台，利用它们的互补特性来提高半导体器件的性能和能源效率。除了影响半导体技术外，该研究还与一系列教育和劳动力发展活动相结合，包括创建课程材料和半导体材料和器件的新课程，年度半导体日与行业，以及半导体女性俱乐部，为来自不同背景的学生提供培训，并为半导体行业的下一代劳动力做好准备。技术描述：该项目追求BAs衬底和III族氮化物半导体的异质集成，创建一个平台，将BAs的高热导率和空穴传输与III族氮化物半导体系统的优异电子传输和击穿特性联合收割机相结合。本研究项目采用电热协同设计，实现互补射频（RF）电路，特别是功率放大器，其中局部热点的热管理是性能和可靠性的限制因素的BA与GaN器件的功能集成。基于半绝缘BAs衬底的熔融生长和Bridgman生长、BAs衬底上GaN基层的转移键合以及BAs上InGaN薄膜的外延生长的基础研究，设计并制造了几种不同类型的BAs/GaN器件设计。耦合的热量和电荷传输的理论模型用于混合器件结构的电热协同设计。所制造的设备进行评估，既建立了RF电路性能测试和高空间分辨率的热成像。除了与RF III族氮化物器件集成在同一BA衬底上以实现高性能功率和通信系统中所需的开关和调制方案的互补逻辑之外，该研究旨在为将BA集成到不同类型的半导体器件系统中奠定基础，以提高热管理和能源效率。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的学术价值和更广泛的影响审查标准。

Non-technical Description:Semiconductor devices are critical components in contemporary information, transportation, and energy technologies. One of the grand challenges faced by the semiconductor industry is the conversion of a large amount of electrical energy consumption by semiconductor devices into heating, which causes local hot spots and degrades the device performance and reliability. Enabled by recent advances in the growth of bulk semiconducting boron arsenide (BAs) crystals that conduct heat much more efficiently than current-generation semiconductor materials, this research project pursues heterogeneous integration of BAs substrates with other semiconductor components to address the challenge in heat management and energy efficiency. A specific goal of this project is to realize functional integration of two types of semiconductors, BAs and gallium nitride (GaN), into a platform that utilizes their complementary properties to enhance performance and energy efficiency of semiconductor devices. Besides impacting semiconductor technologies, the research is integrated with a set of education and workforce development activities, including creating course materials and new courses on semiconductor materials and devices, annual Semiconductor Day with Industry, and Woman in Semiconductors Club, to provide training to students from diverse background and prepare them for the future-generation workforce of the semiconductor industry.Technical Description:This project pursues heterogeneous integration of BAs substrates and III-nitride semiconductors, creating a platform to combine the high thermal conductivity and hole transport of BAs with the excellent electron transport and breakdown properties of the III-nitride semiconductor system. This research project employs electro-thermal codesign to realize functional integration of BAs with GaN devices for complementary radio-frequency (RF) circuits, especially power amplifier where thermal management of local hot spots is a limiting factor for performance and reliability. Several different types of BAs/GaN device designs are designed and fabricated based on fundamental investigations of melt growth and Bridgman growth of semi-insulating BAs substrates, transfer bonding of GaN-based layers on BAs substrates, and epitaxial growth of InGaN thin films on BAs. Theoretical models of coupled heat and charge transport are employed for electro-thermal codesign of the hybrid device structures. The fabricated devices are evaluated with both established RF circuit performance tests and high-spatial resolution thermal imaging. Besides complementary logic integrated with RF III-nitride devices on the same BAs substrate to enable switching and modulation schemes needed in high-performance power and communication systems, the research aims to lay the foundation for integrating BAs into different types of semiconductor device systems to enhance thermal management and energy efficiency.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.