Research
Motivation:
The field of energy efficient and sustainable power electronics is on the verge of a revolutionary development. It is driven by a rising demand for compact, high power systems from the industry and fostered by the development of novel, sustainable materials and innovative electronics from the research community. The development of components containing novel semiconductor materials and structures that overcome the physical limitations of today's silicon based electronic systems is necessary to realize the progress of power electronic systems in Germany. Semiconductor materials like scandium aluminium nitride (ScAlN) and gallium nitride (GaN) exhibit excellent properties for future power electronic systems. Their use enables substantial improvements of the electrical properties of e.g. voltage converters or transmitters for wireless communication. The new materials offer higher power densities, switching frequencies and operating temperatures as well as lower conduction resistances which allow for more compact systems with an increased efficiency. The market for power electronic systems is growing due to increasing automation and digitalization, especially in the fields of automotive and energy technology. The business consulting firm Roland Berger estimates the market growth for electrical DC- and AC-converters as well as motor control units at 7% p.a. until 2020.
Fields of research:
- Gallium nitride for high-efficiency voltage converters
- Scandium aluminum nitride for high frequency filters
- Material cycles in micro- and optoelectronics
Work areas:
Simulations:
Computation of solit-state physical Properties using modern software: nextnano, Ansys, Comsol, ...)
Materials:
Epitaxy of novel, crystalline structures using wide-bandgap semiconductor materials (GaN, ScAlN, Ga2O3, diamond)
Technologies:
Processing of micro- and nanostructures for active and passive power electronic components
Components:
Design and development of highly efficient systems for high power applications