Collaborative Research: FuSe: Heterogeneous Integration of III-Nitride and Boron Arsenide for Enhanced Thermal and Electronic Performance

Ohio State University, The, Columbus OH

Investigators

Abstract

Non-technical Description: Semiconductor devices are critical components in contemporary information, transportation, and energy technologies. One of the grand challenges faced by the semiconductor industry is the conversion of a large amount of electrical energy consumption by semiconductor devices into heating, which causes local hot spots and degrades the device performance and reliability. Enabled by recent advances in the growth of bulk semiconducting boron arsenide (BAs) crystals that conduct heat much more efficiently than current-generation semiconductor materials, this research project pursues heterogeneous integration of BAs substrates with other semiconductor components to address the challenge in heat management and energy efficiency. A specific goal of this project is to realize functional integration of two types of semiconductors, BAs and gallium nitride (GaN), into a platform that utilizes their complementary properties to enhance performance and energy efficiency of semiconductor devices. Besides impacting semiconductor technologies, the research is integrated with a set of education and workforce development activities, including creating course materials and new courses on semiconductor materials and devices, annual Semiconductor Day with Industry, and Woman in Semiconductors Club, to provide training to students from diverse background and prepare them for the future-generation workforce of the semiconductor industry. Technical Description: This project pursues heterogeneous integration of BAs substrates and III-nitride semiconductors, creating a platform to combine the high thermal conductivity and hole transport of BAs with the excellent electron transport and breakdown properties of the III-nitride semiconductor system. This research project employs electro-thermal codesign to realize functional integration of BAs with GaN devices for complementary radio-frequency (RF) circuits, especially power amplifier where thermal management of local hot spots is a limiting factor for performance and reliability. Several different types of BAs/GaN device designs are designed and fabricated based on fundamental investigations of melt growth and Bridgman growth of semi-insulating BAs substrates, transfer bonding of GaN-based layers on BAs substrates, and epitaxial growth of InGaN thin films on BAs. Theoretical models of coupled heat and charge transport are employed for electro-thermal codesign of the hybrid device structures. The fabricated devices are evaluated with both established RF circuit performance tests and high-spatial resolution thermal imaging. Besides complementary logic integrated with RF III-nitride devices on the same BAs substrate to enable switching and modulation schemes needed in high-performance power and communication systems, the research aims to lay the foundation for integrating BAs into different types of semiconductor device systems to enhance thermal management and energy efficiency. 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.