Silicon Carbide Electronics

Introduction

Welcome to our first Auburn University Research webinar of 2014! I'm Rodney Robertson, and I'm thrilled to kick off this session focusing on a fascinating topic: Silicon Carbide Electronics. Our guest speaker today is Dr. Sharit Dar from the College of Science and Mathematics, Department of Physics. He will be sharing insights on the groundbreaking developments in the field of Silicon Carbide Electronics—a vital area in Power Electronics. After Dr. Dar's presentation, we’ll have a session for questions and answers, followed by a brief wrap-up discussion.

The duration of today's webinar is approximately one hour, running from 2 to 3 o'clock Central Time. If you have any questions during the presentation, please feel free to unmute yourself using the green microphone button on your dashboard. Additionally, for those who may not have voice capability, you can submit your questions in the designated section of the dashboard, and our moderator will read them aloud.

This webinar will also be recorded and made available on the Auburn University Research Advisory Board website. Links for accessing the recorded session and contacting Dr. Dar are available if you contact Vicki. Please remember to share this webinar link with your colleagues who might find this subject matter interesting! Don’t forget, at the end of this session, we kindly ask you to fill out a short survey so we can enhance future webinars.

Get excited for our next webinar scheduled for February 12th, starting at 2:30 PM. We’ll welcome Dr. Michael Green from the College of Human Sciences, who will deliver a talk titled "Nutrition: The Emperor of Health." It’s sure to be another engaging session!

Dr. Sharit Dar's Background

Dr. Sharit Dar received his Master's in Physics from the Indian Institute of Technology and earned his PhD in Material Science from Vanderbilt University. He has an impressive research background, having served as a postdoctoral researcher at Vanderbilt University from 2005 to 2008 and as a research scientist at CRE from 2008 to early 2012. Recently, he joined the Department of Physics at Auburn University as an Assistant Professor, specializing in processing and characterization of gate oxides on wide bandgap semiconductors for power device applications.

Webinar Outline

  • Introduction to Power Electronics and Wide Bandgap Semiconductors
  • Current Status of Silicon Carbide Technology
  • Key Challenges in Silicon Carbide Interfaces
  • Research Focus of Dr. Dar's Group

Understanding Power Electronics

Power Electronics is crucial in converting electrical energy from various sources into a format that devices can utilize with minimal losses. The technology drives the efficiency of all electronic circuits. For instance:

  • AC power from wall sockets often needs to be converted from DC sources.
  • Power circuits mainly consist of active devices like diodes and transistors, primarily based on silicon.

However, there's a pressing need for advancements with the inclusion of wide bandgap materials, leading us to the importance of Silicon Carbide in this realm.

What is a Wide Bandgap Semiconductor?

A bandgap in semiconductor physics indicates the energy required to free an electron from its atomic structure. Silicon has a bandgap of 1.1 eV, while Silicon Carbide boasts a bandgap of 3.3 eV. The significance of a wider bandgap includes:

  • Higher breakdown electric fields, allowing materials to endure high voltage.
  • Low leakage currents leading to enhanced energy efficiency.
  • High thermal conductivity, making them suitable for high-temperature applications.

The socio-economic impacts are profound, considering energy translates to cost savings and reduced environmental impacts.

Silicon Carbide's Characteristics

Property Silicon Silicon Carbide
Bandgap Energy 1.1 eV 3.3 eV
Breakdown Field ~0.2 MV/cm ~2 MV/cm
Thermal Conductivity Lower High
Mechanical Hardness Lower 3rd hardest material

As shown in the table, Silicon Carbide’s properties make it a robust candidate for high-voltage and high-temperature environments.

Current Applications and Future Directions

Silicon Carbide technology finds application across various sectors, including:

  • Consumer Electronics
  • Automotive
  • Industrial Technology
  • Renewable Energy

With the ongoing increase in market demand, Silicon Carbide devices are expected to proliferate in usage, particularly for applications like power factor correction circuits, solar inverters, and high-power UPS systems.

Understanding MOSFETs

Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors (MOSFETs) are critical in managing power flow in electronic circuits. They operate by applying a voltage to the gate, controlling the current flow between source and drain. The characteristics of a MOSFET largely depend on:

  • Channel Mobility – how fast electrons can travel.
  • Trapping Mechanisms – defects at the interface that impede electronic flow.

Dr. Dar’s research focuses on improving these key factors to enhance the performance of Silicon Carbide MOSFETs.

Conclusion and Q&A

Dr. Dar concluded his presentation by emphasizing the unique platform that Silicon Carbide offers for exploring interface science, opening doors for significant advancements in the field of Power Electronics. Thank you all for joining us today, and we are looking forward to a lively Q&A session!

Upcoming Webinar Announcement

Before we leave, mark your calendars for our next session on January 12th at 2:30 PM, where we will dive into the fascinating topic of nutrition presented by the College of Human Sciences.