Dr. Ayden Maralani
December 14, 2010 | 12:30 to 01:30 | 540 Cory Hall, DOP Center Conference Room
Host: John Huggins
Demand for capable and reliable semiconductor and fabrication technology for high temperature and power electronics applications has been rapidly increasing in recent years. Silicon Carbide (SiC), as a wide bandgap compound semiconductor, demonstrates superior characteristics such as high thermal conductivity, high breakdown voltage, and long-lasting reliable operation at elevated temperature. SiC-based circuits and systems are capable to offer significant performance enhancements to various applications. Integrated harsh environment sensors for aircraft engines, integrated power management units and conversion modules in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs), development of small-sized portable power generators are among many applications that require reliable circuits and systems with long-lasting functional lifetime. Nevertheless, there are numerous challenges associated with the design and fabrication of SiC-based circuits. The aim of this seminar is to present practical design and implementation of novel operational amplifiers (opamps) based on Vertical Channel 4H-SiC JFET (SiC JFET). These opamps can be utilized as portions of integrated circuits, sensors, and systems. However, analog and opamp design based on SiC JFET exhibits significant design challenges, even at room temperature. These fundamental challenges are low intrinsic gain of the transistors, the requirement to limit the gate to source voltage range, and restrictions on utilizing channel length as a design parameter due to fabrication complexity. These challenges must be successfully overcome in order to demonstrate an opamp with desirable performance.
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