'Game-changing' semiconductor breakthrough at IIT Guwahati

Guwahati: Researchers from IIT Guwahati have developed a cost-effective method to grow a special semiconductor which can significantly enhance the efficiency of power electronics used in high-power applications like electric vehicles, high-voltage transmission, traction, and industry automation, among others.

The research team was led by Dr Ankush Bag, Assistant Professor, Department of Electronics and Electrical Engineering and Centre for Nanotechnology, in collaboration with IIT Mandi and the Institute of Sensor and Actuator Systems, Technical University Wien.

This innovation is expected to be used widely because it makes high-power devices function efficiently even at very high temperatures, such as 200 ºC.

The IIT Guwahati research team has developed an innovative and cost-effective technology to grow ultrawide bandgap semiconducting material named gallium oxide. This is achieved through a customised low-pressure chemical vapour deposition (LPCVD) system.

Emphasising the need for this research Dr Ankush Bag, Assistant Professor, Department of Electronics and Electrical Engineering and Centre for Nanotechnology, IIT Guwahati, said, ”Power Semiconductor devices are the heart of every power electronic system and function primarily as efficient switches, toggling ON and OFF to condition incoming power from the grid to be used by end-user. For emerging high-power applications, there is a demand for compound semiconductor materials with an ultra-wide bandgap.”

Power electronic systems play a vital role in managing and controlling electricity flow and are crucial for converting electrical energy from renewable, including solar and wind, and non-renewable sources, including thermal power plants, into a form compatible with end-user applications in terms of voltage, current and frequency. However, there are always losses incurred when the electrical energy passes through a typical power electronic system.

Researchers globally have been working on improving the efficiency of power electronic systems using materials like Gallium Nitride (GaN) and Silicon Carbide(SiC), but these have limitations, especially in terms of cost, for high-power applications.

Dr Ankush Bag further added, “The main challenge was to make thin and smooth films out of the material. After multiple trials and rigorous study, we optimized the gallium oxide semiconductor and incorporated it with tin to improve and modulate its conductivity. We have successfully developed superior-quality ultra-wide bandgap compound semiconductors and fabricated two terminal devices. The applications of this technology extend to electric vehicles, high voltage transmission, traction systems, and industrial automation.”

Speaking about the uniqueness of this research, Dr Bag said, “A key ‘challenge of this research was creating a Gallium oxide thin film on a sapphire substrate, deviating from the common use of Gallium oxide substrates. This shift enhances cost-effectiveness and thermal performance, addressing issues related to the expense and poor thermal conductivity of Gallium oxide substrates.”

The findings have been published in multiple research papers in the Journal of IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices and Thin Solid Films.

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