Advanced back end processing for high breakdown voltage and low thermal resistance GaN power transistor

氮化镓（GaN）晶体管正在成为一种功能强大的新技术，以满足未来对高功率开关器件的需求。这些新晶体管利用先进III-V族半导体的现有技术，与传统硅基解决方案相比具有显著的性能优势，同时具有成本竞争力。然而，他们需要通过改进器件设计和封装来推动电气和热边界，以提供更接近理论能力的实际功率性能，并展示更高的可靠性。提出这一建议的团队结合了商业GaN晶体管技术的新兴全球先驱（渥太华的GaN系统）和舍布鲁克大学经验丰富的多学科研究团队。合作伙伴共同提出对替代加工技术进行系统研究，以增强GaN Systems的竞争优势。舍布鲁克的研究人员专注于提高对高功率处理至关重要的设计参数（例如：热阻、击穿电压），他们将利用材料沉积和晶片处理方面的能力，为未来制造具有成本竞争力的器件确定最有效的解决方案。这项研究的新颖之处在于，探索了在成品商业代工晶圆上使用特殊的制造后后端工艺步骤以及用于高压操作的集成驱动器来提高主要性能。这将使GaN Systems能够从地球仪的多个工厂采购器件，通过“加拿大制造”的工艺步骤提高功率性能。本研究结果的关键是了解这种独特的宽带隙材料的退化和失效机制。GaN Systems（用于详细了解器件电气和热参数）与舍布鲁克的材料，加工和分析资源相结合，使这项研究能够支持加拿大领导的功率器件创新。

Gallium Nitride (GaN) transistors are emerging as a powerful (literally) new technology to meet tomorrow's needs for high power switching devices. These new transistors use existing know-how in advanced III-V semiconductors, and offer significant performance advantages over conventional silicon-based solutions while being cost-competitive. However, they need to push the electrical and thermal boundaries by improving device design and packaging to deliver actual power performance closer to the theoretical capabilities, and demonstrating improved reliability. The team presenting this proposal combines an emerging global pioneer in commercial GaN transistor technology (Ottawa-based GaN Systems) and the highly-experienced, multidisciplinary research team at the Université de Sherbrooke. Together, the partners propose a systematic study of alternative processing technologies to enhance GaN Systems' competitive edge. Focussing on enhancement of design parameters critical to high power handling (e.g: thermal resistance, breakdown voltage), the Sherbrooke researchers will leverage their capabilities in materials deposition and wafer processing to identify the most effective solutions for future manufacture of cost-competitive devices. Novel to this study is an exploration of major performance enhancements using special post-fabrication back-end process steps on finished commercial foundry wafers, together with integrated drivers for high voltage operation. This would enable GaN Systems to source devices from multiple facilities around the globe, boosting the power performance with a "made in Canada" process step.Essential to the outcomes of this study will be an understanding of how degradation and failure mechanisms prevail in this unique wide-bandgap material. The combined forces of GaN Systems (for detailed understanding of device electrical and thermal parameters) with the materials, processing and analytical resources at Sherbrooke, position this study to support a Canada-led power device innovation.