Ultrawide Bandgap Semiconductors: Research Opportunities and Challenges
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Semiconductors REVIEW Semiconductors Ultrawide-bandgap (UWBG) semicon- ductors, with bandgaps significantly J. Y. Tsao,* S. Chowdhury, M. A. Hollis, wider than the 3.4 eV of GaN, represent D. Jena, N. M. Johnson, K. A. Jones, an exciting and challenging new area of R. J. Kaplar, S. Rajan, C. G. Van de Walle, research in semiconductor materials, E. Bellotti, C. L. Chua, R. Collazo, physics, devices and applications. This M. E. Coltrin, J. A. Cooper, K. R. Evans, article surveys and presents an enumer- S. Graham, T. A. Grotjohn, E. R. Heller, ated list of the materials, physics, device M. Higashiwaki, M. S. Islam, and associated application research op- P. W. Juodawlkis, M. A. Khan, portunities and challenges important for A. D. Koehler, J. H. Leach, advancing the state of their science and U. K. Mishra, R. J. Nemanich, technology. R. C. N. Pilawa-Podgurski, J. B. Shealy, Z. Sitar, M. J. Tadjer, A. F. Witulski, M. Wraback, J. A. Simmons .....1600501 Ultrawide-Bandgap Semiconductors: Research Opportunities and Challenges REVIEW Semiconductors www.advelectronicmat.de Ultrawide-Bandgap Semiconductors: Research Opportunities and Challenges J. Y. Tsao,* S. Chowdhury, M. A. Hollis, D. Jena, N. M. Johnson, K. A. Jones, R. J. Kaplar, S. Rajan, C. G. Van de Walle, E. Bellotti, C. L. Chua, R. Collazo, M. E. Coltrin, J. A. Cooper, K. R. Evans, S. Graham, T. A. Grotjohn, E. R. Heller, M. Higashiwaki, M. S. Islam, P. W. Juodawlkis, M. A. Khan, A. D. Koehler, J. H. Leach, U. K. Mishra, R. J. Nemanich, R. C. N. Pilawa-Podgurski, J. B. Shealy, Z. Sitar, M. J. Tadjer, A. F. Witulski, M. Wraback, and J. A. Simmons Ultrawide-bandgap (UWBG) semiconductors, with bandgaps significantly wider than the 3.4 eV of GaN, represent an exciting and challenging new area of research in semiconductor materials, physics, devices, and applications. Because many figures-of-merit for device performance scale nonlinearly with bandgap, these semiconductors have long been known to have compelling potential advantages over their narrower-bandgap cousins in high-power and RF electronics, as well as in deep-UV optoelectronics, quantum information, and extreme-environment applications. Only recently, however, have the UWBG semiconductor materials, such as high Al-content AlGaN, diamond and Ga2O3, advanced in maturity to the point where realizing some of their tantalizing advantages is a relatively near-term possibility. In this article, the materials, physics, device and application research opportunities and challenges for advancing their state of the art are surveyed. Dr. J. Y. Tsao Prof. S. Rajan Material, Physical, and Chemical Sciences Center Electrical and Computer Engineering and Materials Science Sandia National Laboratories and Engineering Departments PO Box 5800, Albuquerque, NM 87185-1421, USA Ohio State University E-mail: [email protected] 2015 Neil Avenue (Drees Labs 205), Columbus, OH 43210, USA Prof. S. Chowdhury Prof. C. G. Van de Walle Electrical and Computer Engineering Department Materials Department University of California Davis University of California Santa Barbara 3133 Kemper Hall, Davis, CA 95616, USA 2510 Engineering II, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-5050, USA Dr. M. A. Hollis Prof. E. Bellotti Advanced Technology Division Electrical and Computer Engineering Department MIT Lincoln Laboratory Boston University 244 Wood Street, Lexington, MA 02421-6426, USA 8 St. Mary’s Street Room 533, Boston, MA 02215, USA Prof. D. Jena Prof. R. Collazo Electrical and Computer Engineering and Materials Materials Science and Engineering Department Science and Engineering Departments North Carolina State University Cornell University 911 Partners Way (EBI 219), Raleigh, NC 27695, USA 326 Bard Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA Dr. M. E. Coltrin Dr. N. M. Johnson, Dr. C. L. Chua Physical, Chemical and Nano Sciences Center Electronic Materials and Devices Laboratory Sandia National Laboratories PARC PO Box 5800, Albuquerque, NM 87185, USA 3333 Coyote Hill Road, Palo Alto, CA 94303, USA Prof. J. A. Cooper Dr. K. A. Jones Electrical and Computer Engineering Department Sensors and Electron Devices Directorate Purdue University U.S. Army Research Laboratory 1205 West State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47906, USA 2800 Powder Mill Road, Delphi, MD 20783, USA Dr. K. R. Evans, Dr. J. H. Leach Dr. R. J. Kaplar Kyma Technologies, Inc. Material, Physical, and Chemical Sciences Center 8829 Midway West Rd, Raleigh, NC 27612, USA Sandia National Laboratories Prof. S. Graham PO Box 5800, Albuquerque, NM 87185-1086, USA Mechanical Engineering Department Georgia Institute of Technology DOI: 10.1002/aelm.201600501 771 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA Adv. Electron. Mater. 2017, 1600501 1600501 (1 of 49) © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim www.advancedsciencenews.com www.advelectronicmat.de 1. Introduction Jeffrey Y. Tsao is currently Modern semiconductor technologies are only 70 years old, a Distinguished Member but have already transformed human society. At the heart of Technical Staff at Sandia of the technologies are the physical characteristics of the National Laboratories. His Ph.D. is from Harvard Prof. T. A. Grotjohn University, under Professors Electrical and Computer Engineering Department Itamar Burak, Eli Yablonovitch Michigan State University and Nicolaas Bloembergen. 2120 Engineering Building, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA From 1981 to 1991, he was Dr. E. R. Heller Materials and Manufacturing Directorate research staff, first at MIT- Air Force Research Laboratory Lincoln Laboratory then at 3005 Hobson Way, WPAFB, OH 45433, USA Sandia, where he studied Dr. M. Higashiwaki laser microchemistry and the materials science of strained Terahertz and Millimeter Wave ICT Laboratory heterostructures. From 1991 to 2001, he was manager of National Institute of Information and Communications Technology compound semiconductor materials research at Sandia, 4-2-1 Nukui-Kitamachi, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8795, Japan then VP of R&D at E2O Communications. Since 2001, he Prof. M. S. Islam Electrical and Computer Engineering Department has played a “national community organizer” role, spear- University of California at Davis heading white papers which set national research strate- 3139 Kemper Hall, Davis, CA 95616, USA gies, including in solid-state lighting. Dr. P. W. Juodawlkis Quantum Information and Integrated Nanosystems Group MIT Lincoln Laboratory 244 Wood Street, Lexington, MA 02421-6426, USA Mark A. Hollis received his Prof. M. A. Khan Ph.D. from Cornell University Electrical Engineering Department in 1983 where he was in the University of South Carolina renowned group of Prof. 301 Main Street (Swearingen 3A26), Columbia, SC 29208, USA Lester Eastman. Dr. Hollis Dr. A. D. Koehler, Dr. M. J. Tadjer High Power Electronics Branch joined MIT Lincoln Laboratory Naval Research Laboratory where he co-supervised the 4555 Overlook Ave SW, Washington, DC 20375, USA fabrication of the first transis- Prof. U. K. Mishra tors ever to exceed an fmax of Electrical and Computer Engineering Department 200 GHz (265 GHz attained). University of California Santa Barbara Since then Dr. Hollis has 2215C Engineering Science Building, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA made a number of contribu- Prof. R. J. Nemanich Physics Department tions across the fields of electronic devices, optoelec- Arizona State University tronics, and biotechnology, and today he co-leads work PO Box 871504, Tempe, AZ 85287-1504, USA in advanced materials and devices for future-generation Prof. R. C. N. Pilawa-Podgurski systems. Electrical and Computer Engineering University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 306 North Wright Street (4042 ECE), Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA Prof. J. B. Shealy Robert J. Kaplar received Akoustis Technologies his B.S. degree in Physics 9805-H Northcross Center Court, Huntersville, NC 28078, USA from Case Western Reserve Prof. Z. Sitar University, Cleveland, Materials Science and Engineering Department OH, and his M.S. and North Carolina State University 911 Partners Way (EBI 217), Raleigh, NC 27695, USA Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Prof. A. F. Witulski Engineering from Ohio State Electrical Engineering Department University, Columbus. He Vanderbilt University subsequently joined Sandia 1025 16th Av. South, Ste. 200, Nashville, TN 37235-1553, USA National Laboratories, Dr. M. Wraback Albuquerque, NM, as a post- Sensors and Electron Devices Directorate U.S. Army Research Laboratory doctoral researcher, and is 2800 Powder Mill Road, Adelphi, MD 20783, USA now a Principal Member of the Technical Staff at Sandia. Dr. J. A. Simmons His past work has included III-nitride optoelectronics and Advanced Science and Technology Division reliability physics, and he is currently focused on wide- and Sandia National Laboratories ultra-wide-bandgap III-nitride materials and devices for PO Box 5800, Albuquerque, NM 87185-1421, USA power applications. The ORCID identification number(s) for the author(s) of this article can be found under https://doi.org/10.1002/aelm.201600501. Adv. Electron. Mater. 2017, 1600501 1600501 (2 of 49) © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim www.advancedsciencenews.com www.advelectronicmat.de semiconductor materials themselves: their fundamental elec- GaAs-based monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MIMIC) tronic and optical properties that enable electrons, holes and program.[7] photons to interact and control each other in a wide variety of In optoelectronics, the invention[8] in the 1960s of the laser device architectures and operating environments. diode was just as pivotal. A long chain