Development of a Four-Quadrant Gallium Oxide Bidirectional Switch
With the relentless advancement of electronics and the growing adoption of electric vehicles and renewable energy systems, the need for bidirectional control of electricity becomes increasingly crucial. This demand is further amplified by the necessity for high-efficiency, high-power devices that are both smaller and lighter.
Overview
Ultrawide bandgap (UWBG) semiconductors such as Gallium Oxide (Ga2O3)and Aluminium Nitride (AlN) are emerging as promising materials for these critical applications. Despite their potential, research into bidirectional four-quadrant switches remains sparse, particularly for devices that can efficiently handle power in both directions.
This presentation delineates the development of a monolithically integrated Ga2O3 four-quadrant switch capable of handling bidirectional current and demonstrates the first normally OFF Ga2O3 bidirectional switch. Furthermore, this talk will address the significant challenges with asymmetric gate placement and outline effective strategies to mitigate these issues. Finally, the optimized bidirectional switch is used to chop a 60 Hz AC input with a 1 kHz chopping frequency, demonstrating promising applications in various AC-AC, AC-DC, and DC-DC converters.
Presenters
Brief Biography
Dhanu Chettri is a Ph.D. candidate at the Advanced Semiconductor Laboratory (ASL) at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), under the mentorship of Prof. Xiaohang Li. His research focuses on ultra-wide bandgap semiconductors, particularly Gallium Oxide (Ga2O3) and Aluminum Nitride (AlN). Before joining KAUST, he served as a Senior Project Fellow at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research–Central Electronics Engineering Research Institute (CSIR–CEERI).
Chettri’s research primarily involves material growth, device design, fabrication, and circuit implementation of advanced semiconductor devices such as MOSFETs and bidirectional switches. He has made significant contributions to the field, as evidenced by his publications. Notably, he achieved the first demonstration of a normally OFF β-Ga2O3 bidirectional switch, featured in Applied Physics Letters, AIP along with the first demonstration of an AlN MOSFET, published in the Journal of Physics D, IOP.
His research is particularly relevant for developing technologies suited to high-temperature and extreme environment applications, demonstrating the critical role and potential of ultra-wide bandgap semiconductors in modern electronics.