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High-Temperature Electronics: A Role for Wide Bandgap Semiconductors?It is increasingly recognized that semiconductor based electronics that can function at ambient temperatures higher than 150 C without external cooling could greatly benefit a variety of important applications, especially-in the automotive, aerospace, and energy production industries. The fact that wide bandgap semiconductors are capable of electronic functionality at much higher temperatures than silicon has partially fueled their development, particularly in the case of SiC. It appears unlikely that wide bandgap semiconductor devices will find much use in low-power transistor applications until the ambient temperature exceeds approximately 300 C, as commercially available silicon and silicon-on-insulator technologies are already satisfying requirements for digital and analog very large scale integrated circuits in this temperature range. However, practical operation of silicon power devices at ambient temperatures above 200 C appears problematic, as self-heating at higher power levels results in high internal junction temperatures and leakages. Thus, most electronic subsystems that simultaneously require high-temperature and high-power operation will necessarily be realized using wide bandgap devices, once the technology for realizing these devices become sufficiently developed that they become widely available. Technological challenges impeding the realization of beneficial wide bandgap high ambient temperature electronics, including material growth, contacts, and packaging, are briefly discussed.
Document ID
20030032211
Acquisition Source
Glenn Research Center
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Neudeck, Philip G.
(NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH, United States)
Okojie, Robert S.
(NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH, United States)
Chen, Liang-Yu
(Ohio Aerospace Inst. Cleveland, OH, United States)
Date Acquired
August 21, 2013
Publication Date
June 1, 2002
Publication Information
Publication: Proceedings of the IEEE
Publisher: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Volume: 90
Issue: 6
ISSN: 0018-9219
Subject Category
Solid-State Physics
Report/Patent Number
E-13637
Funding Number(s)
PROJECT: RTOP 714-07-30
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.
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