Research Projects

Electric vehicles (EVs) have transformed the automobile industry by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. However, challenges like long charging times and limited battery lifetimes hinder their full potential. Efficient power converters and effective thermal management are essential to address these issues. Diamond, with its exceptional thermal conductivity (~22 W/cm·K), offers a promising solution. It can enhance heat dissipation, improve reliability, and enable high-efficiency power devices. Recent research has focused on diamond-based pMOS transistors, exploring crystal structures, surface terminations, doping techniques, and passivation mechanisms. However, diamond device reliability remains a challenge, particularly under the high operating voltages required for EV applications, and has been minimally explored in literature. An alternative approach integrates diamond with GaN HEMTs, which are widely used in EVs due to their excellent electrical and thermal properties. GaN HEMTs deliver high power density and efficiency but face overheating issues due to self-heating in the 2DEG channel. Integrating diamond close to the channel can address these thermal challenges by improving heat dissipation and extending device lifetime. The project aims to optimize diamond integration with GaN HEMTs, exploring innovative placement techniques for effective thermal management. Thermal modeling, simulations, and experiments will be conducted to design scalable, reliable devices. Long-term reliability studies and advanced thermal management strategies will accelerate diamond's commercial adoption in EV power electronics.