Argon buffer helps GaN devices handle higher voltages

GaN is said to be a promising material for use in emerging high-power devices that are more energy efficient than existing technologies

However, the material’s sensitivity to high voltages has proved a stumbling block.

Researchers at North Carolina State University have solved the problem, introducing a buffer made of argon that allows the GaN devices to handle 10 times greater power.

‘For future renewable technologies, such as the smart grid or electric cars, we need high-power semiconductor devices and power-handling capacity is important for the development of those devices,’ said Merve Ozbek, a PhD student at NC State and author of a paper describing the research.

Previous research into developing high-power GaN devices is said to have run into obstacles, because large electric fields were created at specific points on the devices’ edge when high voltages were applied — effectively destroying the devices.

NC State researchers have addressed the problem by implanting the buffer at the edges of GaN devices. The buffer spreads out the electric field, allowing the device to handle much higher voltages.