Thermal Management of Gallium Nitride Electronics outlines the technical approaches undertaken by leaders in the community, the challenges they have faced, and the resulting advances in the field. This book serves as a one-stop reference for compound semiconductor device researchers tasked with solving this engineering challenge for future material systems based on ultra-wide bandgap semiconductors. A number of perspectives are included, such as the growth methods of nanocrystalline diamond, the materials integration of polycrystalline diamond through wafer bonding, and the new physics of thermal transport across heterogeneous interfaces. Over the past 10 years, the book's authors have performed pioneering experiments in the integration of nanocrystalline diamond capping layers into the fabrication process of compound semiconductor devices. Significant research efforts of integrating diamond and GaN have been reported by a number of groups since then, thus resulting in active thermal management options that do not necessarily lead to performance derating to avoid self-heating during radio frequency or power switching operation of these devices. Self-heating refers to the increased channel temperature caused by increased energy transfer from electrons to the lattice at high power. This book chronicles those breakthroughs. Includes the fundamentals of thermal management of wide-bandgap semiconductors, with historical context, a review of common heating issues, thermal transport physics, and characterization methods Reviews the latest strategies to overcome heating issues through materials modeling, growth and device design strategies Touches on emerging, real-world applications for thermal management strategies in power electronics

As trends progress toward higher power applications in GaN-based electronic and photonic devices, the issue of self-heating becomes a prominent concern. This is especially the case for high-brightness light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs), where the bulk of power dissipation occurs within a small (sub-micron) region resulting in highly localized temperature rises during operation. Monitoring these thermal effects becomes critical as they significantly affect performance, reliability, and overall device lifetime. In response to these issues, diamond grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) has emerged as a promising material in III-nitride thermal management as a heat-spreading substrate due to its exceptional thermal conductivity. This work is aimed toward the characterization of self-heating and thermal management technologies in GaN electronic and photonic devices and their materials. The two main components of this dissertation include assessing self-heating in these devices through direct measurement of temperature rises in high-power LEDs and GaN HEMTs and qualifying thermal management approaches through the characterization of thermal conductivity and material quality in CVD diamond and its incorporation into GaN device layers. The purpose of this work is to further the understanding of thermal effects in III-nitride materials as well as provide useful contributions to the development of future thermal management technologies in GaN device applications.

This book is based on nearly a decade of materials and electronics research at the leading research institution on the nitride topic in Europe. It is a comprehensive monograph and tutorial that will be of interest to graduate students of electrical engineering, communication engineering, and physics; to materials, device, and circuit engineers in research and industry; to all scientists with a general interest in advanced electronics.

Gallium nitride (GaN)-based microelectronics are one of the most exciting semiconductor technologies for high power density and high frequency electronics. The excellent electrical properties of GaN and its related alloys (high critical electric field, carrier concentration, and carrier mobility) have enabled record-breaking performance of GaN-based high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) for radio-frequency (RF) applications. However, the very high power density in the active region of GaN HEMTs leads to significant degradation in performance as the device temperature increases. Thus, effective thermal management of GaN-based electronics is a key to enabling the technology to reach its full potential. Despite the vast amount of research into thermal issues in GaN-based electronics, including both modeling and experimental studies, there are a number of poorly understood issues. For instance, the heat source distribution in GaN HEMTs for RF applications has not been quantified nor have metrics been published for the heat flux in the near-junction region. Often, device engineers neglect the importance of thermal boundary conditions, which play a major role in shaping the temperature distribution in the device. Temperature rise in GaN HEMTs is typically modeled using computationally expensive numerical methods; analytical methods that are more computationally efficient are often quite limited. In this thesis, a literature review is given that discusses previous research in thermal issues in GaN-based electronics and that provides a perspective on the important factors to consider for thermal management. Electro-thermal modeling tools validated with test devices were used to derive quantitative information about the heat source distribution in GaN HEMTs. Both numerical and analytical thermal models were developed that provide helpful insight into the dominant factors in the formation of highly localized hotspots in the near-junction region. The Kirchhoff transformation, a technique for solving the heat conduction equation for situations in which the thermal conductivity of a material depends on temperature, was extended and applied to GaN HEMTs. The research described in this thesis provides critical information in understanding thermal issues in GaN-based electronics required to develop next generation near-junction thermal management technologies.

As silicon reaches its theoretical performance limits for power electronics, industry is shifting toward wide-bandgap materials like Gallium Nitride (GaN), whose properties provide clear benefits in power converters for consumer and industrial electronics. In over 150 pages covering the technology, its applications, markets and future potential, this book delves into GaN technology and its importance for power electronics professionals engaged with its implementation in power devices. The properties of GaN, such as low leakage current, significantly reduced power losses, higher power density and the ability to tolerate higher operating temperatures, all from a device smaller than its silicon-only equivalent, provide design advantages allowing previously unimaginable application performance. As an alternative to silicon, GaN can provide clear benefits in power converters for consumer and industrial electronics; chargers for wireless devices, including 5G; driver circuits for motor control; and power switches in automotive and space applications.The book also explores why GaN-based devices hold the key to addressing the energy efficiency agenda, a key strategic initiative in increasingly power-reliant industries such as data centers, electric vehicles, and renewable energy systems. Highly efficient residential and commercial energy storage systems using GaN technology will enable distribution, local storage, and on-demand access to renewable energy. Continued progress in the battery market will lead to declining battery costs and the development of smaller batteries that pair with GaN technology-based converters and inverters. Thermal management is critical in power electronics, and high efficiency in higher-power systems is always a focus. With GaN, a 50% reduction in losses can be achieved, reducing the costs and area required to manage heat. The book delves into GaN's electrical characteristics and how these can be exploited in power devices. There are also chapters that cross into the key applications for GaN devices for several markets such as space, automotive, audio, motor control and data centers. Each chapter provides a comprehensive overview of the subject matter for anyone who wants to stay on the leading edge of power electronics.

Gallium Nitride (GaN) based microelectronics technology is a fast growing and most exciting semiconductor technology in the fields of high power and high frequency electronics. Excellent electrical properties of GaN such as high carrier concentration and high carrier motility makes GaN based high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) a preferred choice for RF applications. However, a very high temperature in the active region of the GaN HEMT leads to a significant degradation of the device performance by effecting carrier mobility and concentration. Thus, thermal management in GaN HEMT in an effective manner is key to this technology to reach its full potential. In this thesis, an electro-thermal model of an AlGaN/GaN HEMT on a SiC substrate is simulated using Silvaco (Atlas) TCAD tools. Output characteristics, current density and heat flow at the GaN-SiC interface are key areas of analysis in this work. The electrical characteristics show a sharp drop in drain currents for higher drain voltages. Temperature profile across the device is observed. At the interface of GaN-SiC, there is a sharp drop in temperature indicating a thermal resistance at this interface. Adding to the existing heat in the device, this difference heat is reflected back into the device, further increasing the temperatures in the active region. Structural changes such as GaN micropits, were introduced at the GaN-SiC interface along the length of the device, to make the heat flow smooth rather than discontinuous. With changing dimensions of these micropits, various combinations were tried to reduce the temperature and enhance the device performance. These GaN micropits gave effective results by reducing heat in active region, by spreading out the heat on to the sides of the device rather than just concentrating right below the hot spot. It also helped by allowing a smooth flow of heat at the GaN-SiC interface. There was an increased peak current density in the active region of the device contributing to improved electrical characteristics. In the end, importance of thermal management in these high temperature devices is discussed along with future prospects and a conclusion of this thesis.