MOST - Manufacturing and applications of GaN power semiconductor devices/modules

本项目是与台湾国家纳米器件实验室（NDL）和加拿大德纳公司（Dana）联合开展的一项研究合作，旨在为混合动力和纯电动汽车设计和制造液体冷却氮化镓（GaN）功率模块（混合动力汽车和电动汽车）。GaN功率器件是一种新兴技术，可以超越当前的发展水平现有技术的基于硅的功率MOSFET和绝缘栅双极晶体管（IGBT）由于其优越的上级材料特性而被广泛应用。这些包括更高的临界场，更高的电子饱和速度，以及以二维电子气（2DEG）通道的形式的更高的迁移率。使GaN功率技术具有吸引力的一个重大突破是在大尺寸硅衬底上生长AlGaN/GaN层的低成本技术。进一步降低成本也有望在现有的硅铸造厂制造这些功率器件。GaN功率晶体管的主要应用是为HEV和EV实现紧凑高效的功率转换器。虽然宽禁带材料具有在高温环境下工作的能力，但功率转换器/传动系统的热管理仍然是汽车工业的关键挑战。该项目有三个主要组成部分：高性能和可靠的GaN功率晶体管的设计和制造;集成电路（IC）的设计和实现，为GaN功率晶体管提供智能接口和驱动（以及IGBT）;开发用于生产液体冷却GaN/IGBT功率模块（多个功率晶体管、多个接口/驱动IC、电路板和铝冷却板的集成组件）的低成本制造工艺。这项工作将使达纳能够生产关键的电力电子部件，用于组装紧凑，可靠和高效的功率转换器，用于混合动力汽车/电动汽车的电机驱动。

This project is a joint research collaboration with Taiwan's National Nano Device Laboratories (NDL) and Dana Canada Corp. (Dana) on the design and fabrication techniques for liquid cooled Gallium Nitride (GaN) power modules for Hybrid Electric and pure Electric Vehicles (HEVs and EVs).GaN power devices are an emerging technology that can outperform the current state-of-the-art silicon based power MOSFETs and Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs) due to their superior material properties. These include higher critical field, higher electron saturation velocity, and higher mobility in the form of a 2-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) channel. A significant breakthrough that makes GaN power technology attractive is the low-cost technique to grow AlGaN/GaN layers on large size silicon substrates. Further cost-reduction is also promised by the potential to manufacture these power devices at established silicon foundries. The primary application for GaN power transistors is in the implementation of compact and high efficiency power converters for HEVs and EVs. While the wide bandgap material has the added ability to operate in high temperature environment, thermal management of the power converters/drive trains remains a critical challenge in the automotive industry.This project has three major components: the design and fabrication of high performance and reliable GaN power transistors; the design and implementation of integrated circuits (ICs) to provide intelligent interface and driving for the GaN power transistors (and also IGBTs); the development of low-cost manufacturing process for the production of liquid cooled GaN/IGBT power modules (an integral assembly of multiple power transistors, multiple interface/driving ICs, circuit board, and the aluminum cooling plate). This work will enable Dana to produce the critical power electronic parts for the assembly of compact, reliable and high efficiency power converters for the motor drive in HEVs/EVs.