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Published:	11-11-2016
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Wide Band Gap Semiconductors

Wide band gap semiconductors such as gallium nitride (GaN), silicon carbide (SiC) and diamond have emerged as the most promising materials for future electronic components since the discovery of silicon. They offer tremendous advantages in terms of power capability (DC and microwave), radiation insensitivity, high temperature and high frequency operation, optical properties and even low noise capability. Therefore wide band gap components are strategically important for the development of next generation space-borne systems.

Although impressive results have already been demonstrated, a large amount of research and development work still remains to be carried out to mature these technologies and ensure that they are suitable for use in space. Work has been ongoing at ESA for over ten years to improve the quality of the basic crystal materials through to fabrication of complete devices with enhanced performance and reliability. Further research work is planned to better understand the semiconductor physics, to improve materials growth, to optimise device performance and to qualify wide band gap semiconductor components for use in space. In addition, work is planned to develop advanced packaging techniques and to understand the benefits offered to space systems by undertaking detailed application assessment, e.g. through early in-orbit demonstration.

Activities

The ESA Materials and Components Technology Section (TEC-QTC), based at ESTEC in the Netherlands, has initiated a wide portfolio of activities on the development of wide band gap (WBG) materials (SiC, GaN, diamond) and components. Activities have been initiated, or are planned, to better understand the underlying semiconductor device physics, to optimise component manufacture for high reliability operation in space, to investigate new system applications for use in space, which has included one of world’s first demonstrations of a GaN based X-band telemetry transmitter on the PROBA V satellite, and to stimulate establishment of an end-end European supply chain for WBG component technology.

Additional activities are foreseen, especially to demonstrate the performance of these technologies in terms of higher operating frequency, for high voltage power electronics, higher operative temperatures and advanced sensor / photonics applications. Information on these new activities will be published on EMITS.

Gallium Nitride

Funding	Title	Objectives	Contract number	Status
TRP	ESA GaN Noise assessment	To investigate the noise performance capability of GaN HEMT transistors for microwave applications	15908/01/NL/CK	Completed
TRP	Noise assessment of GaN structures	To investigate the noise performance capability of GaN HEMT transistors for microwave applications	16013/02/NL	Completed
TRP	Wide band gap semiconductors for X-band TT+C SSPA	Development and fabrication of GaN HFET X-band power transistors	17489/03/NL/CH	Completed
TRP	Performance benchmarking of European GaN epitaxial wafer suppliers	Comparison of GaN expitaxial wafer performance from multiple vendors, through extensive material and electrical characterisation	20328/06/NL/IA	Completed
TRP	Microwave Frequency Capability of Wide band gap semiconductors	Development of Ka-band and V/W-band GaN MMICs for space applications	17473/03/NL/CH	Completed
TRP	Linearity assessment of GaN technology	Investigation of intrinsic transistor fabrication techniques and using device/circuit level implementation techniques to improve the linearity and power added efficiency of GaN HEMTs for space application	20456/07/NL/IA	Completed
GSTP	Development of highly manufacturable processes for wide band gap technology compatible with a Si production environment	To develop processing techniques for manufacture of GaN-on-Si power devices compatible with processing in a Si CMOS production environment	20713/NL/07/SF	Completed
GSTP	Advanced development of III-Nitride material for high power components	Development of high quality AlGaN/GaN epitaxial layers suitable for microwave device application.	20073/06/NL/PA	Completed
GSTP	Robust receiver technology optimisation	Optimisation of processing techniques for realising robust GaN based receivers, LNA’s	21047/07/NL/EM	Completed
NPI	GaN HEMT reliability physics – NPI – PhD project with Padova University	ESA sponsored PhD study to improve the physics based reliability understanding of GaN HEMTs		Completed
TRP and GSTP	GaN Reliability and Technology Transfer Initiative	The GREAT² (GaN Reliability Enhancement and Technology Transfer Initiative) project has the main objective to implement an independent European component supply chain for discrete microwave GaN power transistors and GaN MMICs (Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuits) suitable for space applications.	21499	Ongoing
PECS	Low dislocation GaN substrates for space applications	Investigation to develop large diameter free standing GaN substrates.	4000108320/13/NL/KML	Ongoing
TRP and ECI	PROBA V Technology Demonstration	Proba-V’s X-band communication system will include an extra amplifier based on novel gallium nitride technology instead of standard gallium arsenide. The X-band transmitter is produced by Syrlinks in France, with the packaged GaN amplifier coming from IAF and TESAT Spacecom in Germany. This amplifier is among the earliest outputs of the ESA-led European consortium to manufacture high-quality GaN devices for space uses: the ‘GaN Reliability Enhancement and Technology Transfer Initiative’ (GREAT2). This novel amplifier also has an adjustable power output, so its use should help to conserve the small satellite’s power consumption while also providing extra redundancy. In orbit data is being collected on a weekly basis	23112 CCN1	Ongoing
GSTP	Development of GaN HFET SiC epitaxy for RF application	To develop a European source for manufacture of high quality GaN on SiC epitaxy for RF applications.	13804	Ongoing
GSTP	Establishment of a commercial GaN epitaxial production facility in Europe	To establish a European source for manufacture of high quality GaN on Si epitaxy.	4000104400	Ongoing
TRP	Investigation of diamond as a microwave semiconductor material	To research and analyse the current state of art for diamond based electronics, with a focus on microwave devices. To investigate substrate material quality, appropriate material doping and processing strategies, supported by the use of physics based modeling tools, to improve the understanding of device operation and predict/refine theoretical electrical performance. The aim is to demonstrate >10W of output power in L-band (1-2GHz frequency range) from a single transistor.	4000107749	Ongoing
GSTP	Support towards validation of European GaN foundry processes	The objective of this work is to independently validate the stability and reliability of the GaN processes/technologies developed in Europe and assess their suitability for use in space. This work shall provide additional confidence in the data obtained through the ESA GREAT² project and shall provide a deeper understanding of the underlying physics behind the reliability degradation factors that have, so far, not been obtained to-date.	4000106310	Ongoing
GSTP	GaN based DC-DC converters for space applications	The area of high voltage and high switching speed DC-DC converters based on GaN technology offers a revolutionary breakthrough for next generation power systems. Work programs have already been successfully completed to demonstrate fabrication of GaN HEMT "normally on" device technology using a Si CMOS compatible production line for low cost application, radiation hard performance has been demonstrated and a preliminary internal ESA demonstration performed at 10MHz switching frequency has shown promising results.The primary aim of this GSTP activity is to perform further work to develop high performance, space compatible, enhancement mode GaN power switching transistors and to establish a European industrial manufacturing route.		Under evaluation
ECI 4	Capability Approval of UMS GH50_20 process	Promising results were obtained from the preliminary space validation of the UMS GH50_10 process in the frame of the ESA GREAT² project.The aim of this work is to undertake a formal space evaluation and capability approval qualification of the UMS GH50_20 production process. The UMS GH50_20 process is similar to the GH50_10 process, but uses optical stepper lithography and 100mm diameter SiC substrates. Once completed this will allow European GaN hermetically packaged components to be more widely available for space system insertion.		Under evaluation
TRP	Investigation and preliminary characterisation of process building blocks needed for establishing a European mm-wave GaN foundry process	The focus of this activity shall be to initiate work for establishing an industrial scale mm-wave GaN production foundry process (operations up to 60 GHz), optimizing process modules where required, and undertaking early space reliability validation on elementary test structures.		ITT published July 2014
STRIN	Advanced Development of III-Nitride Material, InAlN/GaN HEMTs	The aim of this work is to establish the feasibility of using InAlN based transistors for space application as an alternative to AlGaN based devices. To investigate the advantages, in terms of microwave performance and reliability, of InAlN/GaN HEMT with respect to AlGaN/GaN HEMTs. To evaluate the capability to sustain high temperature operation (e.g. up to ≥800 °C).	4000104741/11/NL/Cbi	Ongoing
GSTP	Preliminary reliability assessment of a European 0.25um GaN HEMT process	The aim of this activity is to undertake a preliminary assessment on the reliability and space robustness capabilities of the Selex 0.25um GaN HEMT MMIC process		Contract negotiations ongoing

Silicon Carbide

Funding	Title	Objectives	Contract number	Status	Additional information
TRP	Prototyping and characterization of 1200V, Schottky SiC shottky diode	Development of 1200V SiC Schottky diode in package suitable for space application with the main goal to characterize the performances of the devices in terms of switching capability, reliability of the technology and main characterization of static and dynamic parameters as a function of temperatures as well as to characterize the thermal impedance and resistance of the proposed package solution. The device will also be characterized for tolerance to TID and to TNID in order to evaluate their potential future application in space missions. The target application is rectifiers/filtering section of the EPC HV module	4000109271/0/0/0	Ongoing
TRP	Characterization of SIC JFET commercially available devices	The objective of the study is the characterization of medium voltage SiC JFET normally ON and/or normally OFF available on the market or still in pre-industrialization or prototyping phase for generic power switching function in space power distribution and control function and motor driver. The study will have the goal to screen out the devices actually on the market or in prototyping in order to assess the more promising technology for a future qualification for space application. The candidates under evaluation shall be selected from European and not European suppliers among the off the shelf available and as prototypes as well (in this case as well Normally-OFF JFET or MOSFET would be of interest for this study).	4000106840/0/0/0	Ongoing	The final candidates list included two not US MOSFET, one normally OFF JFET and two normally ON JFET. The evaluation plan includes the electrical static, dynamic and switching characterization over a wide temperature range, high temperature life test, power cycles , total ionizing dose characterization and heavy ions test . The test are on going and are foreseen to be concluded in 4Q 2014.
TRP	CCN 1 to Characterization of SIC JFET commercially available devices	The CCN1 to Characterization of SiC JFET commercially available devices covers the performance of a heavy ions evaluation test campaign on 5 different part types of SiC Schottky diodes. The heavy ions test campaign will be performed by ATN using UCL as radiation source. The test facilities is available in September with the conditions detailed in radiation test plan as provided hereafter.	4000106840/0/0/1	Ongoing	Degradation of SiC diodes when submitted to heavy ions testing has been notified by DLR at last Component Technology Board meeting reporting a permanent increase leakage current (from nA to mA) for reverse voltage higher than 200V. This CCN will cover the introduction of different types of SiC Schottky diodes , from different manufacturers / wafer and processes to the present SEE test campaign on JFET with the aim to improve the knowledge of the phenomena observed by DLR. Such activity will be also beneficial for other TRP activities as well as ARTES 5.1 projects “High Voltage repeater module for EPC for increase temperature range”
TRP-Planned- TBD	Prototyping and Characterisation of Radiation Hardened SiC MOS Structures. (PTRP)	The aim of the activity will be to perform the prototyping and radiation hardened (SEE & TID) characterization of SiC gate oxide materials through use of an elementary MOS capacitor structure for the optimization of the gate oxide process parameters. The output of this activity shall help to identify the MOS structure required for the development, evaluation and qualification of radiation hardened high-voltage SiC power-MOSFETs in future activities.	--	Ongoing	The TEB process has been finalized in July. ITT will be published in August - September with negotiation and contract signature before the end of 2014.

Additional information

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