Wide Band Gap Semiconductors

P A IRFAN KHAN
Reg no:11406887, RE2407A21 , ECE563 SOLID STATE DEVICES
DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING
LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY, PHAGWARA , PUNJAB
p.a.irfankhan@gmail.com

Abstract To development of smaller semiconductors that

demonstrate the higher performance with less power than most
commonly used silicon semiconductor devices. Which requires
higher blocking voltages, switching frequencies , efficiency and
reliability. To overcome this limitations we require wide band gap
semiconductors like silicon carbide (Sic), gallium nitrade (GaN)
which is having band gap greater than 3 electron volt (ev),
compared with 1.12 ev for si and 1.43 ev for GaAs.
IndexTerms wide band gap semiconductors , silicon carbite
(SiC) , Gallium Nitride (GaN).

INTRODUCTION
wide band gap are also called due to a relatively wide energy
band gap as compared to conventional silicon .The electronic
band gap is the energy gap between the top of the valance
band and bottom of the conduction bandin solid materials.
Electrons can jump the gap to the conduction band by thermal
energy. Some materials have no band gap that give sthe
semiconductros the ability to switch currents on and off in
order to achieve the electrical function.
Wide band gap materials have several characterstics that
makes them usefulcompund to lower bandgap materials. Due
to this higher energy gap the devices ability to operate at
higher temperature and for some applications allows devices
to switch larger voltages.
wide band gap semiconductors like silicon carbite, gallium
nitride ,which is having high band gap, high electron
saturation velocity, high thermal conductivity and temperature
operation range capabilities. The feature will allow wide band
gap electron circuits to operate at very high voltages with high
power amplification efficiency. The Yole development
research estimates that replacing silicon with silicon carbite
(or),gallium nitride can increase DC-to-DC conversion
efficiency from 85 % - 95 %and AC-to-DC conversion
efficiency from 85% - 90%. [1]
STRUCTURE OF WBG
Band gap :
It is an energy range in a solid where no electron states can
exist. In graphs of the electronic band structure of solids the
band gap generally refers to the energy difference between top
of the valance band and bottom of the conduction band. An
important technique for measuring the band gap energy of a

semiconductoris the absorbtion of incident photons by the

material.[2]
Gallium Nitride :
It is a binary lll-lV direct band gap semiconductor
commonly used in light emiting diodes. GaN is very hard
,mechanically stable wide band gap semiconductor material
with high heat capacity and conductivity. [3]
Silicon Carbite :
It is also known as carborundum is a compound of
carbon and silicon with chemical formula SiC. It is two types
one is alpha SiC and beta SiC. Alpha SiC is formed at
temperature grater than 1700 degrees and beta SiC is formed at
below 1700 degrees. [3]
TABLE 1 : Physical properties of silicon and the major
WBG semiconductors

wide band gap materials have been the only choice

for efficient Green and Blue light emiting diodes and
Lasers.Otpoelectronics devices emits the light modify light
have their resistance affected by light or produce currents and
voltages proportional to the light intensity. Leds are available
only yellow and red. LEDs convert 90% of their energy light
and 10% to heat . [4]
RF Applications :

Fig 1: Band gap energie and lattice constants

GaN enables advanced performance High electron

mobility transistors (HEMTs) and Monolithic Microwave
Integrated Circuits (MMICs) for high performance.The
MMIC is an integrated circuit that operates at microwave
frequencies ( 300 MHz to 300 GHz ). [5]
Power Elctronics :

TYPES OF WBG

Silicon carbite (SiC)

Gallium nitride (GaN)
Alluminium nitride (AIN)
Boron nitride (BN)
Diamon

PROPERTIES OF WBG
Optical Properties :
The minimum photon energy that is needed to excite
electron into the conduction band is associated with the bad
gap of a material.When electron hole pair undergo
recombination ,photons are generated with enegies that
corresponds to the magnitude of the bandgap.

Wide band gap semiconductor debuted in the power

electronics world in 1992 with the demonstration of the first
400v Silicon carbite schottky diode. Since then the wide band
gap electronic portfolio has expanded to include 1200v silicon
carbite schottky diodes as well as rectifiers, JFETs, MOSFETs,
and BJTs.[1].
High power applications:
The high power breakdown voltages of the wide band
gap semiconductors is useful property in high power
allpications that require large electric fields. The gallium
nitride and silicon carbide are robust materials which can used
for such applications.Due to thids robustnes ,it is easy to
manufacture.The silicon carbide are used widely it will create
simpler and higher efficiency charging for hybrid and all
electric vehicles redused energy lost and longer life
solar.These are mostly and in space programmes and military
systems.

Breakdown Field :
Wide band gap semiconductors are associated with a high
breakdown voltage.This is due to a larger electric field
required to generate carriers through impact mechanism.
Saturation Velocity :
High effective massesof charge carriers are a result of low
bad curvatures, which correspond to devices with wide band
gap semiconductor is due to the high carrier is due to the high
carriers drift velocity.

APPLICATIONS OF WBG
Optoelectronics :

Fig 2: Applications of wbg.

topic. I learned how to make papers for publishing. It was a

good experience exploring a new technology.
FUTURE USE OF WBG
Initial devices are being proven in the areas of power , Rf ,
illumination and opto electronics .Laying the ground work for
opportunities in other areas such as microcontrollers.The
Panasonic 600v GaN suite of microcontrollers.High
performance to price ratio GaN based power and Rf devices
should see implementations in IT, communications,consumer
electronics.

CONCLUSION
Wide band gap semiconductors are here to start the
migration to better materials.Gan transistors to provide the
industry , smallest and highest eifficancy powercontrol system .
SiC power devices are expected to male biggest impact in
renewable energy applications such as solar and wind power
generations systems and grid storage.Both SiC and GaN
power devices are anticipated to be well adopted in automotive
and transportation system due to high heat.Wide band gap
semiconductors are still major challenges , not the least of
which cost reduction need to optimize packing to allow the full
realization of the wide band gap materials.

REFERENCES
[1]
http://www.manufacturing.gov/docs/wide_bandgap_semicond
uctors
[2]
Solid state electronics devices by Ben g .Streetman
and sanjay benerjee fifth edition.
[3]

ACKNOWLEDGMENT
I am thankful to the university management system for
providing me with the activity such as Term paper. I sincerely
thank my faculty in charge for providing me with an interesting

http://epc-co.com/epc/documents/papers.

[4] Electronic devices and circuits by David A. Bell fifth

edition.
[5]

http://users.ece.gatech.edu/~shensc/research.html.