High Power Ga2O3-Based Schottky Diode

This SBIR Program will develop a new generation of radiation hard high-power high-voltage Ga2O3-based Schottky diode, which is suitable for applications in the space environment. Wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductors have the potential to yield much more efficient power electronics than silicon, because their larger bandgaps allow them to withstand higher electric fields with less material, which also leads to lower system size and weight. While SiC and GaN are the two most technologically advanced WBG semiconductors, Ga2O3 is very promising and a new alternative. It has a larger bandgap (~4.8 eV) than either SiC (3.3 eV) and GaN (3.4 eV). Its large bandgap allows it to handle large electric fields, which in turn gives it a 4-10 times larger figure-of-merit than SiC and GaN for power devices. Ga2O3 has already been demonstrated in a variety of discrete electronic and optoelectronic devices, such as metal-semiconductor and metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors, and UV sensors. Despite its potential, few companies have explored the Ga2O3 for power electronics in the US. The Schottky diode proposed will be used as a rectifier in the power applications because of its low forward voltage drop leading to lower levels of power loss compared to ordinary PN junction diodes. The Schottky diode performance can far exceed that of other diodes in many areas due to its low turn on voltage, low junction capacitance and fast recovery time. The Phase I project will also include modeling of material and device design, and production costs to NASA for commercial implementation. During Phase II, we will build complete high power Ga2O3-based Schottky diode prototypes and test them under heavy ion and total dose radiation. We will demonstrate scale-up of the processing technology to the high power Ga2O3-based Schottky diode. We will also define the pathway to Phase III high volume production.

The high power Schottky diode developed in this SBIR Phase I/Phase II program program will support many future electronics that will be used in NASA missions to the Moon, Mars and beyond. The Schottky diodes are one of the key elements of NASA's Power Management and Distribution (PMAD) systems. Operating at higher voltages than the conventional Schottky diodes, the Ga2O3-based Schottky diode will improve the performance of the PMADs. The proposed Schottky diode will operate at high-power and high-voltage, which will also be tolerant to heavy ion radiation to be suitable for variety of NASA applications.

In addition to NASA mission needs, the SBIR team anticipates a variety of commercial applications for the high-power high-voltage Ga2O3-based Schottky diode. The unique properties of the Schottky diodes enable them to be used in many different types of circuit making applications where other diodes would not be able to provide the same level of performance. Some of the unique applications of the Schottky diodes are power rectification, RF mixing, detector diode, and clamp diode. They are also used in photovoltaic systems.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 5) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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