Diamond for Electronics: Materials, Processing and Devices

Abstract

Progress in power electronic devices is currently accepted through the use of wide bandgap materials (WBG). Among them, diamond is the material with the most promising characteristics in terms of breakdown voltage, on-resistance, thermal conductance, or carrier mobility. However, it is also the one with the greatest difficulties in carrying out the device technology as a result of its very high mechanical hardness and smaller size of substrates. As a result, diamond is still not considered a reference material for power electronic devices despite its superior Baliga’s figure of merit with respect to other WBG materials. This review paper will give a brief overview of some scientific and technological aspects related to the current state of the main diamond technology aspects. It will report the recent key issues related to crystal growth, characterization techniques, and, in particular, the importance of surface states aspects, fabrication processes, and device fabrication. Finally, the advantages and disadvantages of diamond devices with respect to other WBG materials are also discussed.

High-Quality SiO2/O-Terminated Diamond Interface: Band-Gap, Band-Offset and Interfacial Chemistry

“…Importantly, it also possesses the best thermal conductivity and an enormous radiation hardness. These properties make diamond devices interesting for high-temperature, high-power, and harsh environments applications [ 3 , 4 , 5 ].…”

Effect of Titanium and Molybdenum Cover on the Surface Restructuration of Diamond Single Crystal during Annealing

“…Due to its ultrawide bandgap and high thermal conductivity [ 1 ], diamond has attracted the attention of the scientific community already at the silicon sunrise [ 2 ]. However, the rarity and high cost of natural stones, as well as the variability of their electronic properties [ 3 ], postponed the implementation of diamond electronics until the beginning of the 21st century when methods for the synthesis of centimeter-sized diamond single crystals and their controlled doping appeared [ 1 , 4 ]. Today, diamond technology is developing rapidly.…”

Scanning Deposition Method for Large-Area Diamond Film Synthesis Using Multiple Microwave Plasma Sources

“…In particular, diamonds are being evaluated as an ideal next-generation material in semiconductor devices. They are also considered a cutting-edge material suitable for quantum computers and space electronic devices in radiation environments, owing to their high electron and hole mobility and their excellent bandgap energy characteristics [8]. The recent increase in frequency bands with the development of wireless communication technology to 5G and beyond has prompted the need for high-performance power semiconductor devices.…”