RII Track-4: NSF: Advancing High Density and High Operation Temperature Traction Inverter by Gallium Oxide Packaged Power Module

电动汽车（ev）为减少交通运输部门的碳排放和减缓全球气候变化提供了重要途径。牵引逆变器为车辆提供动力，被认为是电动汽车动力系统的“心脏”。更小、更轻、更高效的牵引逆变器可以节省能源，延长电动汽车的行驶里程。此外，高温能力对于确保电动汽车在更广泛的温度范围内可靠运行而不损坏或故障至关重要，从而减少了对笨重冷却系统的需求。本项目旨在利用氧化镓封装的功率模块，提高牵引逆变器的功率密度和工作温度范围。氧化镓是一种新兴的超宽带隙半导体，由于其特殊的材料特性，它有可能以更高的效率和优越的工作温度彻底改变电力电子。通过消除氧化镓器件集成的技术障碍，该项目将促进下一代高密度、高温功率转换器的发展，并促进氧化镓技术在汽车和其他恶劣环境应用中的应用。该奖学金将加强PI在半导体器件、多物理场分析、功率模块封装和高性能功率电子方面的多学科研究能力。它还将提供动手实验室经验，以教育和培训下一代电气工程师在宽和超宽带隙半导体器件，电力电子封装和转换领域。这个研究基础设施改进轨道4 EPSCoR研究人员（RII轨道4）项目将为阿肯色大学的助理教授提供奖学金，并为研究生提供培训。这项工作将与国家可再生能源实验室的研究人员合作进行。高密度、轻量化的电力电子转换器，特别是那些能够在高温环境下工作的，是汽车、航空航天和空间探索应用的迫切需要。与传统硅和宽带隙半导体相比，氧化镓具有更大的带隙能量，是一种很有前途的超宽带隙半导体材料。这一有利特性使其具有高击穿强度、低固有载流子浓度和相应的高工作温度，使其成为高温、高密度电力电子器件的理想候选者。然而，氧化镓的低导热性阻碍了器件结的有效散热，增加了传统封装设计中的热阻。通过与国家可再生能源实验室的研究人员合作，PI将克服与氧化镓功率模块封装相关的这些挑战，并推进其在高功率密度和高温电力电子转换器中的应用。本项目主要有三个研究目标：(1)创新功率模块封装技术，优化热阻，减小寄生电感，增强高温运行能力；(2)探索可靠的氧化镓功率器件栅极驱动和保护策略，最大限度地发挥器件潜力，提高可靠性；(3)演示基于氧化镓的高密度高温牵引逆变器，以验证和加速氧化镓技术的采用。该项目的成功保证了对氧化镓器件建模，封装，栅极驱动，保护及其在电源转换器中的应用的经验见解。因此，它将在具有挑战性的环境中促进运输电气化和氧化镓技术的部署。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Electric vehicles (EVs) offer a crucial pathway to reduce carbon emissions in the transportation sector and mitigate global climate change. The traction inverter powers the vehicle’s movement and is considered the “heart” of an EV’s powertrain. A smaller, lighter, and more efficient traction inverter saves energy and extends the driving range of EVs. Additionally, high-temperature capability is essential to ensure reliable EV operation across a wider range of temperatures without damage or failure, reducing the need for bulky cooling systems. The aim of this project is to enhance the power density and operating temperature range of traction inverters by utilizing gallium oxide packaged power modules. Gallium oxide, an emerging ultra-wide bandgap semiconductor, has the potential to revolutionize power electronics with higher efficiency and superior operational temperatures due to its exceptional material properties. By eliminating technical barriers to gallium oxide device integration, this project will foster the development of the next generation of high-density, high-temperature power converters and promote the use of gallium oxide technology in automotive and other harsh environment applications. The fellowship will strengthen the PI’s multi-disciplinary research capabilities in semiconductor devices, multiphysics analysis, power module packaging, and high-performance power electronics. It will also provide hands-on laboratory experience to educate and train the next generation of electrical engineers in the field of wide and ultra-wide bandgap semiconductor devices, power electronics packaging, and conversion.This Research Infrastructure Improvement Track-4 EPSCoR Research Fellows (RII Track-4) project would provide a fellowship to an Assistant professor and training for a graduate student at the University of Arkansas. This work would be conducted in collaboration with researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. High-density, lightweight power electronics converters, especially those capable of operation at high ambient temperatures, are compellingly needed for automotive, aerospace, and space exploration applications. Gallium oxide emerges as a promising ultra-wide bandgap semiconductor material with a larger bandgap energy compared to conventional silicon and wide bandgap semiconductors. This advantageous characteristic enables high breakdown electrical strength, low intrinsic carrier concentration, and corresponding high operating temperatures, making it an ideal candidate for high-temperature, high-density power electronics. However, the low thermal conductivity of gallium oxide impedes efficient heat dissipation from the device junction, increasing thermal resistances in conventional packaging designs. In collaboration with researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the PI will overcome these challenges associated with gallium oxide power module packaging and advance its application in high-power density and high-temperature power electronics converters. This project has three research objectives: (1) Innovate power module packaging techniques that optimize thermal resistances, minimize parasitic inductances, and enhance high-temperature operation capability; (2) Explore reliable gallium oxide power device gate driving and protection strategies to maximize device potential and increase reliability; and (3) Demonstrate a gallium oxide-based high-density and high-temperature traction inverter to validate and expedite the adoption of gallium oxide technology. The success of the project promises empirical insights into gallium oxide device modeling, packaging, gate driving, protection, and its application in power converters. Consequently, it will catalyze advancements in transport electrification and the deployment of gallium oxide technology within challenging environments.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.