Ultra-Wide Bandgap II-VI Semiconductors for Power Electronics

Ultra-wide bandgap (UWBG) II-VI semiconductors such as ZnO (Eg = 3.37 eV) and MgZnO alloys are gaining traction in power electronics due to their high breakdown voltages (>10 MV/cm) and thermal conductivities (~50 W/mK). Recent devices based on ZnO/GaN heterostructures have achieved power conversion efficiencies >98% at switching frequencies up to MHz ranges, outperforming traditional Si-based devices by a factor of two.

The development of p-type doping in ZnO using nitrogen or lithium has overcome long-standing challenges in bipolar device fabrication. For instance, N-doped ZnO exhibits hole mobilities >10 cm²/Vs and acceptor concentrations ~10¹⁹ cm⁻³, enabling the creation of p-n junctions with rectification ratios >10⁶ at room temperature. These advancements are critical for high-power rectifiers and inverters used in electric vehicles (EVs).

MgZnO alloys with Mg content up to 40% have demonstrated tunable bandgaps from ~3 eV to ~5 eV while maintaining lattice matching to GaN substrates (<1% mismatch). This allows for the fabrication of high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) with current densities >1 A/mm and breakdown voltages >2 kV, making them suitable for grid-scale power management systems.

Recent progress in defect engineering has reduced trap densities in UWBG II-VI materials by two orders of magnitude (<10¹⁰ cm⁻³), significantly improving device reliability under harsh operating conditions (>200°C). These improvements are expected to accelerate the adoption of II-VI semiconductors in renewable energy systems.

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