AGAMI_EURIGAMI (EUROPEAN DEFENCE FUND)
AGAMI_EURIGAMI :
Composants et circuits intégrés innovants Européen – Projet Européen EDF (EUROPEAN DEFENCE FUND)
- Porteur IEMN du projet : F. Medjdoub
- Coordinateur : UMS GmbH
- Partenaires : Fraunhofer IAF, Fraunhofer IZM, UMS SAS, CEA LETI, 3-5 Lab, University of Roma Tor Vergata, MC2, University of Vigo, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, University Zagreb, SOITEC, SweGaN, Sencio, IMT Bucharest, Slovak Academy of Science (SAV), Chalmers University, FORTH, Leonardo, Synergie CAD, Hensoldt, Indra, MEC, Thales NL, Thales DMS, University of Roma La Sapienza, BPTI, Saab, University Padova, Circuit Integrated Ltd., Airbus-Spain, National Research Council, CNRS-IEMN, TNO, Elettronica
Le projet « European Innovative GaN Advanced Microwave Integration » (AGAMI_EURIGAMI) couvre l’ensemble de la chaîne d’approvisionnement du nitrure de gallium (GaN) depuis l’épitaxie jusqu’au packaging des composants et à l’intégration dans les systèmes électroniques de défense modernes. Le projet se concentre sur l’amélioration de la technologie et de la résilience face aux menaces électriques et environnementales. Les composants et dispositifs GaN finaux démontreront une performance et une protection améliorées des dispositifs dans des environnements difficiles.
Les principaux moyens technologiques ou de caractérisation qui seront nécessaires à la réalisation du projet :
- CNMF : Centrale de micro et nano fabrication
- Plateforme CHOP : caractérisation DC, pulsée, RF, non-linéaire (Load-pull)
Projets phares concernés:
- Telecom UHD
- Micro-nano-devices
ACTION (ANR PRCE)
ACTION :
Nouveaux transistors à base de canaux AlGaN pour applications à haute tension
- Porteur IEMN du projet : F. Medjdoub
- Coordinateur : IEMN
- Partenaires : Institut Néel, société EasyGaN, laboratoire CRHEA
- Le projet ACTION a pour objectifs d’explorer et de développer une nouvelle classe de transistors utilisant un canal AlGaN à ultra-large bande interdite. Ce projet PRCE est composé de trois laboratoires académiques le CRHEA, l’IEMN et l’institut Néel et de la startup EasyGaN en tant que partenaire industriel.
- Ces transistors AlGaN vont permettre d’établir les bases d’une future génération de composants de puissance qui offriront une plus haute tenue en tension et une stabilité en température supérieure aux limites des transistors à base de GaN, venant ainsi concurrencer les domaines d’applications du SiC. Grâce à des rendements accrus sur des gammes de tension supérieures à 1200V, inaccessibles actuellement aux transistors GaN-sur-Silicium, ces composants vont permettre de réduire les pertes qui se produisent lors des multiples transformations de l’énergie électrique depuis sa production jusqu’à nos usages quotidien. Le point clé du projet est le développement par épitaxie par jets moléculaires (MBE) d’hétérostructures AlGaN/AlGaN sur substrat silicium grande surface. Cette nouvelle filière de matériaux compatible avec les fonderies CMOS sera donc en phase avec les efforts actuels menés par les principaux acteurs français du domaine. Dans un contexte de décarbonation et donc d’une électrification massive de nos usages, le projet ACTION jouera un rôle important et stratégique pour la fabrication d’une nouvelle génération de composants semiconducteurs améliorant la gestion de l’énergie.
- Ce projet s’appuie sur des résultats préliminaires remarquables puisqu’un champ de claquage supérieur à 2.5 MV/cm a déjà été mesuré sur des structures HEMT à canal AlGaN extrêmement simples. Cette valeur de champ de claquage est déjà au-delà de l’état de l’art des transistors HEMT GaN-sur-silicium qui est typiquement de l’ordre de 1.5 MV/cm. Ces résultats sont prometteurs et confirment l’intérêt de cette approche d’autant plus que ces structures extrêmement simples (sans ingénierie de contrainte ni de réduction de la densité de défauts) ont été épitaxiées sur substrat silicium. Le projet ACTION a pour objectif de développer des structures HEMTs à canal AlGaN optimisées en termes de défauts et de contrainte sur substrat silicium en se basant sur un savoir-faire CRHEA unique de plus de 20 années en épitaxie MBE. Une partie de ce savoir-faire a été transféré à la startup EasyGaN, avec notamment la cession d’une licence sur un brevet qui permet de réduire la densité de dislocations dans l’alliage AlGaN. Un autre point clé du projet ACTION est la réalisation du composant et l’optimisation des différentes étapes technologiques. L’équipe de Farid Medjdoub (IEMN) est à l’état de l’art dans ce domaine. Leur expertise et leur grande réactivité vont permettre d’optimiser les performances des structures réalisées dans le projet. L’équipe de Julien Pernot (Institut Néel), connue et reconnue dans le domaine des matériaux ultra-grand gap, va permettre d’étudier et caractériser finement les propriétés des matériaux AlGaN apportant notamment une expertise spécifique sur les propriétés de transport qui sont au cœur du projet. Enfin, le projet ACTION permettra à la startup EasyGaN d’ajouter un produit à haute valeur ajoutée et stratégique à son catalogue.
- Le consortium offre une parfaite complémentarité en apportant un savoir-faire unique pour mener à bien ce projet ambitieux visant des composants de puissance innovants. Le projet bénéficiera également de l’expertise de partenaires externes tels que : – la société Knowmade spécialisée dans l’analyse de brevets et le conseil en veille technologique et en stratégie de propriété intellectuelle, – l’Université de Padoue pour les mesures dynamiques, – l’Université de Bristol pour les analyses thermiques et, – la PME Riber pour les développements et le support technique autour de la croissance MBE sur substrats silicium 8″.
Les principaux moyens technologiques ou de caractérisation qui seront nécessaires à la réalisation du projet:
- CNMF : Centrale de micro et nano fabrication
- Plateforme CHOP : caractérisation DC, pulsée, haute tension
Projets phares concernés:
- Transportation
- Smart energy
- Micro-nano-devices
LABEX GANEXT
LABEX GANEXT :
Duration: 2020 – 2025
Coordinator of RF and power electronics: Farid Medjdoub
Objectives:
GANEXT is a French national network including industrials and academics working on nitrides materials and devices.
A funding close to 4 M€ for 4 years has been granted by the ministry of research.
Main part of the activities are focusing on power and RF electronics. Funded projects aim at significantly supporting the roadmap of French industrials in this frame.
DGA/CNRS contract GREAT
DGA/CNRS contract GREAT :
High frequency GaN electronics
Duration: 2021 – 2025
Coordinator : Farid Medjdoub
As a strategic technology, GREAT has ben jointly funded by DGA and CNRS to improve millimeter-wave GaN transistors for future radar systems.
Objectives:
•Develop a robust GaN technology (TRL 4) up to W-band
•Support the optimization of UMS next generation of GaN transistors (GH10)
•Understand the parasitic phenomena and related device degradation under high electric field of ultrashort GaN transistors
•Analytical physical modelling and simulation of devices and circuits
•Ka-band circuit design to validate benefit of the developed technology at the circuit level
Contract PEPR ELETRONIQUE VERTIGO
Contract PEPR ELETRONIQUE VERTIGO
VERTIcal Gan for high vOltage
Duration: 2022 – 2026
Coordinator : Cyril Buttay
Objectives
The proposed VERTIGO project aims to develop AlGaN nitride power transistors with a vertical geometry. Today’s technology for GaN power transistors is based on lateral HEMT where the voltage rise is obtained by increasing the space between the gate and the drain, to the detriment of the current and power density. In addition, these lateral-architecture components are necessarily sensitive to surface phenomena.The vertical geometry makes it possible to gain in current density, and the rise in voltage (the project targets 1200 V, with chips of a caliber of 50 A) is obtained with thicker layers. Finally, the increase in frequency is allowed by the important mobilities that the project will target by working on the conduction channel and exploiting all the possibilities offered by heterostructures. The project aims to reach a large increase (x10) in electronic mobility compared to current published results in the field.
Adequacy with the national Electronics plan:
VERTIGO aims to provide vertical power components in silicon GaN that offer the performance required by the industry, especially automotive. It relies on French research actors from the material to the system. In particular, the high voltage GaN is identified by automotive manufacturers as necessary to accompany the rise in voltage of on-board networks beyond 400 V (800 V targeted by several manufacturers), because it should make it possible to produce components at a lower cost than SiC technology.
Industrial project SmartGaN
The objective of this project is the study of vertical and lateral GaN power components produced on the so-called « SmartGaN for Power » substrate currently being developed at Soitec.
The principle of such a substrate is the transfer of a thin layer of monocrystalline GaN material (< 1 µm) onto a substrate called “base” via a bonding process. This bonding process may itself require a so-called “bonding layer” with electrical and thermal properties different from those of the base and the GaN layer.
PEPR GOTEN
OBJECTIVE
Pushing the limits of power electronics by means of Gallium oxide, the next generation power semiconductor
CHALLENGE
Demonstrate the viability of a French technology of vertical components based on gallium oxide (Ga2O3), covering the entire value chain ranging from epitaxial growth to thermal management of packaged components.
Completed Projects
EU ECSEL YesVGaN European Contract (Horizon 2020)
Contract EU ECSEL YesVGaN :
Vertical GaN on Silicon: Wide Band Gap Power at Silicon Cost
Duration: 2021 – 2025
Responsible for IEMN: Farid Medjdoub
ESA European Contract (European Space Agency)
ESA European Contract (European Space Agency)
Duration: 2022
Coordinator : Farid Medjdoub
Objectives:
The proposed work aims to assess and quantify performances of new materials and device topologies of mmW GaN-based transistors allowing frequency extension up to W-band with the aim of achieving new stretch targets, especially in terms of ways to improve both power-added-efficiency and linearity. The novelty lies on an extensive survey of advanced concepts studied worldwide with respect to the whole figure of merits while including theoretical investigations of the most promising concepts based on TCAD simulations and checking the manufacturability of each approach with main EU epi-suppliers and foundries. The outputs from this study will allow ESA to focus its future GaN process development efforts to help enable a European supply chain for state of art mmW GaN MMIC technology.
Contract ANR DGA (ASTRID) CROCUS
Contract ANR DGA (ASTRID) CROCUS :
Circuits for robust Communication system in the millimeter wave range based on GaN-on-Si substrate
Duration: 2014 – 2017
Responsible for IEMN: Farid Medjdoub
Objectives:
This project proposes to design, realize in hybrid integration and test some key Ka band circuits such as power amplifier (HPA), Low noise amplifier (LNA) and mixer, using EpiGaN epitaxies. These circuits will be developed with respect to Thales communication (military communication systems) and BLUWAN specifications (Civilian LMDS & Satellite applications).
Contract ANR DGA (ASTRID) COMPACT
Contract ANR DGA (ASTRID) COMPACT :
Understanding and optimization of trapping effects in the frame of the development of next generation of power devices for Ka band applications
Duration: 2018 – 2021
Responsible for IEMN: Farid Medjdoub
Objectives:
This project aims to solve inherent GaN technology issues related to electron trapping effects and thus optimizing key figures of merits such as power-added-efficiency and associated output power for transistors with sub-150 nm gate lengths.
Contract ANR LHOM
Contract ANR LHOM:
AlInN Layers and AlInN Heterostructures for Optimized high electron Mobility transistors
Duration: 2014 – 2017
Responsible for IEMN: Farid Medjdoub
Objectives:
The LHOM research effort establishes a strongly iterative methodology for sustaining the production of the next generation AlInN based high frequency high mobility electron transistors (HEMTs). In this project, three public institutions and a private company are to carry out an extensive investigation extending from the optimization of the growth of the layers and heterostructures to the fabrication and performance validation of the HEMTs for high power millimeter-wave range applications.
Contract ANR BREAkuP
Contract ANR BREAkuP:
Ultra-wide Bandgaps for futuRE high power electronic ApPlications
Duration: 2018 – 2021
Coordinator : Farid Medjdoub
Objectives:
To develop novel robust and reliable AlN-based power devices for high and medium power electronic systems targeting energy conversion efficiency as well as high frequency applications and bringing the Ultra-Wide-Bandgap semiconductors power devices another step towards the wide usability in the energy saving environment and next generation of millimeter-wave devices.
Contract FUI VeGaN
Contract FUI VeGaN:
Very Efficient GaN Amplifiers for Networks
Duration: 2015 – 2019
Responsible for IEMN: Farid Medjdoub
Objectives:
The aim of VeGaN is to contribute to the technology development for high frequency applications and enable the competitiveness of the critical GaN device EU industry, which is key for future telecommunication wireless systems.
Contract EU EDA (European Defense Agency) EUGANIC
Contract EU EDA (European Defense Agency) EUGANIC:
European GaN Integrated Circuits
Duration: 2016 – 2020
Responsible for IEMN: Farid Medjdoub
Objectives:
The main objective of the project is to close the European supply chain for military GaN-based electronics in order to secure the availability of GaN devices for strategic European defense projects. Therefore, European commercial suppliers of SiC substrates and state-of-the-art epitaxially grown wafers (epi-wafer) with HEMT (High Electron Mobility Transistor) layer structures suitable for microwave transistors and circuits shall be developed. With all these activities the project aims to create a leading-edge industrial supply chain for GaN-based electronics for the needs and applications of the European defense industry.
Contract EU H2020 Inrel-NPower
Contract EU H2020 Inrel-NPower:
Innovative Reliable Nitride based Power Devices and Applications
Duration: 2017 – 2020
Responsible for IEMN: Farid Medjdoub
The project has the following main objectives:
Industrial (UMS) bilateral contract ALIEN
Industrial (UMS) bilateral contract ALIEN:
Duration: 2018 – 2020
Responsible for IEMN: Farid Medjdoub
Objectives:
This project covers the evaluation of the AlN/GaN by developing a preindustrial process shared between IEMN and the foundry UMS on 4-inch SiC substrate including the uniformity, device size and reliability issues.
