High-temperature electronics - a role for wide bandgap semiconductors?

TLDR

Wide‑bandgap semiconductors enable electronic operation at temperatures far above silicon, yet their low‑power transistor use is limited until ambient temperatures exceed ~300 °C, while silicon power devices suffer self‑heating above ~200 °C. The study reviews the material‑growth, contact, and packaging challenges that hinder the deployment of wide‑bandgap high‑ambient‑temperature electronics. Once widely available, wide‑bandgap devices will be the sole choice for electronic subsystems that demand both high temperature and high power.

Abstract

The fact that wide bandgap semiconductors are capable of electronic functionality at much higher temperatures than silicon has partially fueled their development, particularly in the case of SiC. It appears unlikely that wide bandgap semiconductor devices will find much use in low-power transistor applications until the ambient temperature exceeds approximately 300/spl deg/C, as commercially available silicon and silicon-on-insulator technologies are already satisfying requirements for digital and analog VLSI in this temperature range. However practical operation of silicon power devices at ambient temperatures above 200/spl deg/C appears problematic, as self-heating at higher power levels results in high internal junction temperatures and leakages. Thus, most electronic subsystems that simultaneously require high-temperature and high-power operation will necessarily be realized using wide bandgap devices, once they become widely available. Technological challenges impeding the realization of beneficial wide bandgap high ambient temperature electronics, including material growth, contacts, and packaging, are briefly discussed.