Available Projects

3C-SiC is re-emerging as a wonder semiconductor material which is making strides in multiple different fields: a) power electronics, b) powerless hydrogen generation by photo-electro-chemical generation, c) non-toxic bio compatibility for in-vitro bioelectronics, d) high temperature CMOS, e) 3C-SiC MEMS sensors and e) quantum computing.

In this project, the students will develop 3C-SiC materials and develop device processing technology for power electronics applications.

Primary supervisor: Dr Vishal Shah - Email: Vishal.Shah@warwick.ac.uk

Project detail:
3C-SiC technology has the potential to produce high efficiency and reliable wide-bandgap (WBG) power electronics. There exists a space from 200V to 3.3kV where the lower on voltage of 3C-SiC and its higher thermal conductivity will allow a more efficient device, compared to commercial GaN and 4H-SiC devices. In addition, 3C-SiC fundamentally should not suffer from the two main reliability killers in 4H-SiC: bipolar degradation and MOS interface due to the materials’ properties. These are key to giving confidence in the technologies underpinning the net zero agenda. In addition, the opportunity to fabricate 3C-SiC on Si substrates facilitate rapid uptake due to the ubiquity of Si and its low price point. Yet, the materials fabrication challenge of 3C-SiC must be investigated if this is to become a mainstream technology. Conventional 3C-SiC materials fabrication is done through chemical vapour deposition (CVD), but current methods are either highly defective or not mass manufacturing compatible. In this proposal, multiple novel approaches of 3C-SiC materials fabrication methodology are to be developed, from which low defect materials will be produced and power device technology demonstrated.

The aim of the project is to create a robust direct 3C-SiC power electronics material, and direct beneficiaries are noted in the above section, however, 3C-SiC is a versatile material and has strong applications in other areas: 1) Within power electronics, 3C-SiC material also has the potential to be a Buffer for other Ultra-Widebandgap Semiconductors to be fabricated on Silicon (e.g. Gallium Oxide, cubic Gallium Nitride, cubic Boron Nitride), of interest to other power electronics materials researchers in the UK. Other Project outputs will provide 3C-SiC materials for its other amazing properties: 2) Powerless hydrogen generation by photo-electro-chemical generation in sea farms, [38] 3) 3C-SiC’s non-toxic bio compatibility for in-vitro bioelectronics, [39] 4) high temperature CMOS, [40] 5) creating 3C-SiC MEMS sensors, [41] 6) Harsh environment devices, 7) radiation hard devices, 8) quantum computing [42] and 9) Thermoelectrics.

How to apply for admission: www.warwick.ac.uk/pgrengineering

How to apply for a scholarship: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/eng/postgraduate/funding/