Objectives

The general objective of the RUE Project is to develop, for the first time, a solid first generation of WBG power semiconductor devices and their related technologies and electronics (such as suitable packages, drivers, controllers, etc.). This will allow using these devices in real power applications where silicon based devices exhibit important problems due to their inherent limitations in voltage blocking capability, working temperature range and switching speed.

    To fulfil this main objective, three intermediate technical and scientific objectives must be achieved:

• Regarding Materials and Devices, to overcome the main limitations that the recently developed SiC devices still exhibit, such as low MOS channel mobility, metallization problems for HT operation, passivation schemes, stacking faults, etc. Moreover, to develop a first generation of GaN power devices for very HSS power electronics in the same temperature range as the Silicon devices. In this case, the starting point will be the existing GaN devices for telecom applications.

• Regarding Characterization, Control and Packaging, to develop new characterization, testing and modelling tools adapted to the range of voltage, temperature and frequency of this first generation of WBG power semiconductor devices. Novel packages and additional circuitry (such as specific drivers and controllers) are also necessary to make possible the integration of WBG power semiconductor devices in real applications.

• Finally, regarding real Applications, to demonstrate the advantages of WBG power semiconductor devices and systems, seeking either to cover applications that power Si devices cannot perform, or to improve the efficiency, the size or the transient response in applications that are currently dominated by power Si devices. For this purpose, several specific power converters will be designed, built and tested. These converters will be selected to achieve different goals, such as operation at HT and radiation hardness, handle of HV without using series connection of power devices, or extremely fast response, always maintaining high efficiency.

 
    Apart from these technical/scientific objectives, the RUE Project seeks a more ambitious objective (RUE main objective): to create and exploit synergy from all world class research teams involved. Our main goal is not competing among us but to become the main actor of the European related scenario. Though very ambitious, this objective is achievable since the synergistic group potential is three-fold (materials, devices and applications-MDA).