Device-Level Multidimensional Thermal Dynamics With Implications for Current and Future Wide Bandgap Electronics
- Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States)
- Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Microsanj, LLC, Santa Clara, CA (United States)
- Hongik Univ., Seoul (South Korea)
Researchers have been extensively studying wide-bandgap (WBG) semiconductor materials such as gallium nitride (GaN) with an aim to accomplish an improvement in size, weight, and power of power electronics beyond current devices based on silicon (Si). However, the increased operating power densities and reduced areal footprints of WBG device technologies result in significant levels of self-heating that can ultimately restrict device operation through performance degradation, reliability issues, and failure. Typically, self-heating in WBG devices is studied using a single measurement technique while operating the device under steady-state direct current measurement conditions. However, for switching applications, this steady-state thermal characterization may lose significance since the high power dissipation occurs during fast transient switching events. Therefore, it can be useful to probe the WBG devices under transient measurement conditions in order to better understand the thermal dynamics of these systems in practical applications. In this work, the transient thermal dynamics of an AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) were studied using thermoreflectance thermal imaging and Raman thermometry. Also, the proper use of iterative pulsed measurement schemes such as thermoreflectance thermal imaging to determine the steady-state operating temperature of devices is discussed. These studies are followed with subsequent transient thermal characterization to accurately probe the self-heating from steady-state down to submicrosecond pulse conditions using both thermoreflectance thermal imaging and Raman thermometry with temporal resolutions down to 15 ns.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); US Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR); National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF)
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC04-94AL85000; FA9550-17-1-0141; 1934482; 2016R1A1B4010474; NA0003525
- OSTI ID:
- 1619236
- Report Number(s):
- SAND-2020-3834J; 685180
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Electronic Packaging, Vol. 142, Issue 3; ISSN 1043-7398
- Publisher:
- ASMECopyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
gallium nitride (GaN)
high electron mobility transistor (HEMT)
power electronics
Raman thermometry
self-heating
thermal dynamics
thermal management
thermoreflectance thermal imaging
wide bandgap (WBG)
Dynamics (Mechanics)
Electronics
Energy gap
Gallium nitride
Heating
Imaging
Steady state
Temperature
Temperature measurement
Thermal characterization
Thermoreflectance
Transients (Dynamics)
Probes
Gates (Closures)
Electron mobility
Transistors
Nanoparticles