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Zhan T, Xu M, Cao Z, Zheng C, Kurita H, Narita F, Wu YJ, Xu Y, Wang H, Song M, Wang W, Zhou Y, Liu X, Shi Y, Jia Y, Guan S, Hanajiri T, Maekawa T, Okino A, Watanabe T. Effects of Thermal Boundary Resistance on Thermal Management of Gallium-Nitride-Based Semiconductor Devices: A Review. MICROMACHINES 2023; 14:2076. [PMID: 38004933 PMCID: PMC10673006 DOI: 10.3390/mi14112076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/04/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023]
Abstract
Wide-bandgap gallium nitride (GaN)-based semiconductors offer significant advantages over traditional Si-based semiconductors in terms of high-power and high-frequency operations. As it has superior properties, such as high operating temperatures, high-frequency operation, high breakdown electric field, and enhanced radiation resistance, GaN is applied in various fields, such as power electronic devices, renewable energy systems, light-emitting diodes, and radio frequency (RF) electronic devices. For example, GaN-based high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) are used widely in various applications, such as 5G cellular networks, satellite communication, and radar systems. When a current flows through the transistor channels during operation, the self-heating effect (SHE) deriving from joule heat generation causes a significant increase in the temperature. Increases in the channel temperature reduce the carrier mobility and cause a shift in the threshold voltage, resulting in significant performance degradation. Moreover, temperature increases cause substantial lifetime reductions. Accordingly, GaN-based HEMTs are operated at a low power, although they have demonstrated high RF output power potential. The SHE is expected to be even more important in future advanced technology designs, such as gate-all-around field-effect transistor (GAAFET) and three-dimensional (3D) IC architectures. Materials with high thermal conductivities, such as silicon carbide (SiC) and diamond, are good candidates as substrates for heat dissipation in GaN-based semiconductors. However, the thermal boundary resistance (TBR) of the GaN/substrate interface is a bottleneck for heat dissipation. This bottleneck should be reduced optimally to enable full employment of the high thermal conductivity of the substrates. Here, we comprehensively review the experimental and simulation studies that report TBRs in GaN-on-SiC and GaN-on-diamond devices. The effects of the growth methods, growth conditions, integration methods, and interlayer structures on the TBR are summarized. This study provides guidelines for decreasing the TBR for thermal management in the design and implementation of GaN-based semiconductor devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianzhuo Zhan
- Graduate School of Interdisciplinary New Science, Toyo University, 2100 Kujirai, Kawagoe 350-8585, Saitama, Japan; (S.G.); (T.H.); (T.M.)
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 3-4-1 Ookubo, Shinjuku-ku 169-8555, Tokyo, Japan; (Z.C.); (C.Z.); (T.W.)
| | - Mao Xu
- School of Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8502, Tokyo, Japan; (M.X.); (A.O.)
| | - Zhi Cao
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 3-4-1 Ookubo, Shinjuku-ku 169-8555, Tokyo, Japan; (Z.C.); (C.Z.); (T.W.)
| | - Chong Zheng
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 3-4-1 Ookubo, Shinjuku-ku 169-8555, Tokyo, Japan; (Z.C.); (C.Z.); (T.W.)
| | - Hiroki Kurita
- Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Tohoku University, 6-6-02 Aoba-yama, Sendai 980-8579, Miyagi, Japan; (H.K.); (F.N.)
| | - Fumio Narita
- Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Tohoku University, 6-6-02 Aoba-yama, Sendai 980-8579, Miyagi, Japan; (H.K.); (F.N.)
| | - Yen-Ju Wu
- National Institute for Materials Science, 1-2-1 Sengen, Tsukuba 305-0047, Ibaraki, Japan; (Y.-J.W.); (Y.X.)
| | - Yibin Xu
- National Institute for Materials Science, 1-2-1 Sengen, Tsukuba 305-0047, Ibaraki, Japan; (Y.-J.W.); (Y.X.)
| | - Haidong Wang
- School of Aerospace Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China;
| | - Mengjie Song
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China; (M.S.); (W.W.)
| | - Wei Wang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China; (M.S.); (W.W.)
| | - Yanguang Zhou
- School of Engineering, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China;
| | - Xuqing Liu
- Department of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK;
| | - Yu Shi
- School of Design, University of Leeds, Woodhouse, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK;
| | - Yu Jia
- School of Engineering and Applied Science, Aston University, Birmingham B4 7ET, UK;
| | - Sujun Guan
- Graduate School of Interdisciplinary New Science, Toyo University, 2100 Kujirai, Kawagoe 350-8585, Saitama, Japan; (S.G.); (T.H.); (T.M.)
| | - Tatsuro Hanajiri
- Graduate School of Interdisciplinary New Science, Toyo University, 2100 Kujirai, Kawagoe 350-8585, Saitama, Japan; (S.G.); (T.H.); (T.M.)
| | - Toru Maekawa
- Graduate School of Interdisciplinary New Science, Toyo University, 2100 Kujirai, Kawagoe 350-8585, Saitama, Japan; (S.G.); (T.H.); (T.M.)
| | - Akitoshi Okino
- School of Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8502, Tokyo, Japan; (M.X.); (A.O.)
| | - Takanobu Watanabe
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 3-4-1 Ookubo, Shinjuku-ku 169-8555, Tokyo, Japan; (Z.C.); (C.Z.); (T.W.)
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