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部件。半导体行业面临的一大挑战是将半导体器件消耗的大量电能转化为加热，造成局部热点，降低器件的性能和可靠性。在块状半导体砷化硼(BAS)晶体生长方面的最新进展，这种晶体的导热效率比当前一代的半导体材料高得多，该研究项目致力于将BAS衬底与其他半导体元件进行异质集成，以应对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BaS和GaN两种半导体的功能集成到一个平台中，利用它们的互补特性来提高半导体器件的性能和能效。除了影响半导体技术，这项研究还与一系列教育和劳动力发展活动相结合，包括创建关于半导体材料和器件的课程材料和新课程，一年一度的半导体工业日，以及半导体俱乐部中的女性，为来自不同背景的学生提供培训，并为他们为半导体行业的未来劳动力做好准备。技术说明：该项目追求BaAs衬底和III-氮化物半导体的异质集成，创建一个平台，将BaAs的高导热系数和空穴传输与III-氮化物半导体系统的出色电子传输和击穿性能相结合。本研究项目采用电热协同设计技术，以实现射频互补电路，特别是功率放大器的BAS与GaN器件的功能集成，其中局部热点的热管理是性能和可靠性的限制因素。基于对半绝缘BaS衬底熔体生长和Bridgman生长、GaN基层在BaS衬底上的转移键合以及在BaS衬底上外延生长InGaN薄膜的基础研究，设计并制作了几种不同类型的BaS/GaN器件。采用热电荷耦合输运理论模型对混合器件结构进行了电热协同设计。制作的器件通过已建立的射频电路性能测试和高空间分辨率热成像进行评估。除了在同一衬底上与RF III-氮化物器件集成互补逻辑以实现高性能电力和通信系统所需的开关和调制方案外，这项研究还旨在为将BA集成到不同类型的半导体器件系统中以增强热管理和能源效率奠定基础。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

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.