Researchers from the Indian Institutes of Technology in Guwahati and Mandi, along with the Vienna University of Technology, have devised a cost-effective method for producing a semiconducting material that can significantly improve the efficiency of power electronics in high-power applications like electric vehicles, high-voltage transmission, and industrial automation.
They have developed a custom low-pressure chemical vapor deposition system to grow gallium oxide, an ultrawide bandgap semiconducting material. This innovation is expected to enable high-power devices to function efficiently even at very high temperatures, such as 200 degrees Celsius. The findings of the study have been published in multiple research papers in the Journal of IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices and Thin Solid Films.
Ultra-wide bandgap semiconductor (UWBGS) materials, including diamond and gallium, have the potential to support the development of devices with even higher levels of performance than other materials. Ankush Bag, an assistant professor at IIT-Guwahati told PTI that power semiconductor devices are crucial for managing and controlling the flow of electricity, converting electrical energy from both renewable and non-renewable sources into a form compatible with end-user applications.
While researchers have been working on improving the efficiency of power electronic systems using materials such as gallium nitride and silicon carbide, these materials have limitations, particularly in terms of cost, for high-power applications.
The team overcame the challenge of creating thin and smooth films of gallium oxide by optimizing the semiconductor and incorporating it with tin to enhance its conductivity.
They have successfully developed high-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. The research team also includes Satinder K Sharma and Arnab Mondal from IIT-Mandi, and Manoj K Yadav from TU Wien, Vienna.
(With inputs from PTI)
