Ultra-Wide Bandgap Al-Rich AlGaN Devices for Next Generation Power Electronics Applications
This presentation explores the development of advanced ultra-wide bandgap (UWBG) Al-rich AlGaN power devices, revealing the superior material properties that position this technology to transform next-generation power electronics.
Overview
The growing need for efficient, high-voltage power conversion is pushing current materials like silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) to their physical limits. This seminar explores ultra-wide bandgap Al-rich AlGaN (Al composition > 75%) as a highly promising new material for next-generation power electronics. While it has an excellent ability to handle extreme voltages, making real devices is difficult due to several issues such as n-type doping, surface states, and gate control.
This talk outlines a clear, practical approach to overcome these barriers. It begins with the optimized MOCVD growth of thick, high-quality material on AlN/sapphire templates, showing how we manage crystal strain to prevent defects and cracking. To solve the doping problem, we introduce polarization-enhanced doping—a technique that uses the material's built-in electric fields to easily create a highly conductive electron layer without needing extreme heat. Finally, the presentation connects this material growth to actual device fabrication, highlighting the development of FinFETs that will help make future power electronics much more efficient.
Presenters
Brief Biography
Tingang Liu is a Ph.D student in Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at KAUST under the supervision of Prof. Xiaohang Li. He got his bachelor’s degree in 2022 from University of Electronics Science and Technology of China and his master’s degree in 2023 from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology.
