New GaN chip design enables high-temperature power electronics
Researchers have demonstrated gallium nitride transistors that remain stable and efficient from room temperature to 150°C, a requirement for electric vehicles, industrial equipment, and renewable energy systems. The advance could accelerate adoption of smaller, more efficient power converters by solving a longstanding thermal reliability challenge.
Originaltitel: a-plane GaN-based fully vertical FinFETs with normally-off operation
<p>In this work, the electrical performance of fully vertical single-fin a-plane gallium nitride fin-based field-effect transistors (FinFETs) with short gate length (Lg approximate to 200nm) and a drift-layer thickness of 4.3 & micro;m is investigated. Device characteristics are evaluated over a temperature range from 25 degrees C to 150 degrees C for various fin widths. The FinFETs exhibit stable normally-off operation across the entire temperature range. For a device with a fin width of 100nm, a positive threshold voltage of 1.7 V is achieved and remains stable up to 150 degrees C. The same device demonstrates a specific on-resistance of 3 m Omega & centerdot;cm2, a minimum subthreshold swing of 63mV dec-1, an ON/OFF current ratio of approximately 1010 and a current density of 2.4kA cm-2 (133kA cm-2 when normalized to the single-fin active area, including current spreading in the drift layer). An increase in threshold voltage with temperature, particularly at 150 degrees C, is observed, indicating robust electrostatic control and favorable thermal stability for high-temperature power device operation.</p>