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Recent success with the fabrication of high-performance GaN-on-Si high-voltage HFETs has made this technology a contender for power electronic applications. This paper discusses the properties of GaN that make it an attractive alternative to established silicon and emerging SiC power devices. Progress in development of vertical power devices from bulk GaN is reviewed followed by analysis of the prospects for GaN-on-Si HFET structures. Challenges and innovative solutions to creating enhancement-mode power switches are reviewed.

Elemental and compound semiconductors, including widebandgap semiconductors, are critically examined for high-power electronic applications in terms of on-state resistance, power loss caused by junction leakage, heat conduction, radiation hardness, high-frequency performance, and high-temperature operation. Based on a new analysis applicable to a wide range of semiconducting materials and by using the available measured physical parameters, it is shown that widebandgap semiconductors such as SIC and diamond could offer significant advantages compared to either silicon or group 111-V compound semiconductors for these applications. The new analysis uses peak electric field strength at avalanche breakdown as a critical material parameter for evaluating the quality of a semiconducting material for highpower electronics. Theoretical calculations show improvement by orders of magnitude in the on-resistance, twentyfold improvement in the maximum frequency of operation, and potential for successful operation at temperatures beyond 600°C for diamond high-power devices. New figures of merit for power-handling capability that emphasize electrical and thermal conductivities of the material are derived and are applied to various semiconducting materials. It is shown that improvement in power-handling capabilities of semiconductor devices by three orders of magnitude is feasible by replacing silicon with silicon carbide; improvement in power-handling capability by six orders of magnitude is projected for diamond-based devices.

The influence of material parameters upon the characteristics of vertical channel power field effect transistors is examined. It is demonstrated that for devices with the same breakdown voltage and device structure, the on-resistance is inversely proportional to the third power of the energy band gap and inversely proportional to the mobility. In addition the frequency response of these devices increases in proportion to the mobility and the energy band gap. Calculated device parameters for III–V semiconductor compounds, as well as their alloys, have been compared to those of a silicon device with the same breakdown voltage. It is found that devices fabricated from GaAs, InP, and GaP are expected to have a current handling capability which is a factor of 12.7, 5, and 1.85 better than that of the silicon device with the same breakdown voltage. In addition, the current handling capability of devices fabricated from the alloy semiconductors GaAlAs, GaAsP, and InGaP are even superior to those of a GaAs device with the same breakdown voltage.

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