TECHNOLOGY/BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY High Voltage and High Power Diamond JFET Switch with Improvements

Opportunity: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), operated by the Lawrence Livermore National Security (LLNS), LLC under contract no. DE-AC52-07NA27344 (Contract 44) with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), is offering the opportunity to enter into a collaboration to further develop and commercialize its high voltage and high power junction-gate field-effect transistors (JFETs) with improvements.

Background: Although silicon still constitutes 95% of the device types available in the market, heat management continues to challenge its use in power electronics. Diamond, an ultrawide bandgap (UWBG) material, can run hotter than silicon without a degradation in performance, can more easily be cooled, can tolerate higher voltages before failure, and electrons can move faster through the material. Because of these characteristics, diamond is superior to other UWBG materials like SiC, GaN, GaO, and AlN. Diamond-based semiconductors are capable of increasing power density as well as creating faster lighter, and simpler devices.

Description: LLNL’s novel approach is to use diamond substrates with the desired donor (nitrogen) and acceptor (boron) impurities. In order to optically activate these deep impurities, the invention requires at least one externally or internally integrated light source. The initial exposure to light can set up the desired conduction current, after which the light source could be turned off.

Even with the light turned off, the device can still maintain the desired current condition, and the electric current remains conducting. The device is a planar design, but it can be improved upon by adding Fin and OGAA structures. Additionally, an optical junction termination extension (O-JTE) used to suppress the high electric field that appears at the vicinity of the corners between gate and p-channel.

Advantages/Benefits:

Value Proposition: Less operating costs relative to other photoconductive switches. The switch is non-volatile, meaning it retains its status for a long time without the need of sustaining electric or optical power.

Potential Applications: Power Electronics Applications needing high voltage switches Development Status: Current stage of technology development: TRL 2 LLNL has filed for patent protection on this invention. LLNL is seeking industry partners with a demonstrated ability to bring such inventions to the market. Moving critical technology beyond the Laboratory to the commercial world helps our licensees gain a competitive edge in the marketplace.

All licensing activities are conducted under policies relating to the strict nondisclosure of company proprietary information. Please visit the IPO website at https://ipo.llnl.gov/resources for more information on working with LLNL and the industrial partnering and technology transfer process.

Note: THIS IS NOT A PROCUREMENT. Companies interested in commercializing LLNL's diamond JFET switch with improvements should provide an electronic OR written statement of interest, which includes the following:

Company Name and address. The name, address, and telephone number of a point of contact. A description of corporate expertise and/or facilities relevant to commercializing this technology. Please provide a complete electronic OR written statement to ensure consideration of your interest in LLNL’s diamond JFET switch with improvements. The subject heading in an email response should include the Notice ID and/or the title of LLNL’s Technology/Business Opportunity and directed to the Primary and Secondary Point of Contacts listed below. Written responses should be directed to:

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Innovation and Partnerships Office P.O.

Box 808, L-779 Livermore, CA 94551-0808 Attention: IL-13772Plus