Accession Number:

AD1028462

Title:

Ultrawide-Bandgap Semiconductors: Research Opportunities and Challenges

Descriptive Note:

Technical Report

Corporate Author:

MASSACHUSETTS INST OF TECH LEXINGTON LEXINGTON United States

Personal Author(s):

Report Date:

2017-02-03

Pagination or Media Count:

54.0

Abstract:

Ultrawide-bandgap UWBG semiconductors, with bandgaps significantly wider than the 3.4 eV of GaN, represent an exciting and challenging new area of research in semiconductor materials, physics, devices and applications. Because many figures-of merit for device performance scale nonlinearly with bandgap, these semiconductors have long been known to have potential compelling advantages over their narrower band gap cousins in high-power and RF electronics, as well as in deep-UV optoelectronics, quantum information, and extreme-environment applications. Only recently, however, have the UWBG semiconductor materials, such as high Al-content AlGaN, diamond and Ga2O3, advanced in maturity to the point where realizing some of their tantalizing advantages is a relatively near-term possibility. In this article, we survey, and present an enumerated list of, the materials, physics, device and associated application research opportunities and challenges that are believed to be important for advancing the state of their science and technology. These research opportunities and challenges emerged from a workshop, The Second Technical Exchange on Ultrawide-bandgap Semiconductors Research Opportunities and Directions, held in Arlington, VA, April 24-25, 2016, which brought together leading experts from academia, government, and industry.

Subject Categories:

  • Electrical and Electronic Equipment
  • Inorganic Chemistry
  • Inorganic Chemistry

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE