A physics based compact model for a diamond optically gated field effect transistor

Electricity and electrical devices permeate our day to day life, and if recent trends continue they will only grow in their prevalence. Global warming necessitates a transition away from fossil fuels, yet modern life has been built on a foundation of the energy abundance they provide. Adding more and more things to our electrical grid that will require increasing amounts of power will put immense strain on our electricity infrastructure. That infrastructure will need better components that will be able to deal with the large amounts of power and heat that will flow through them. Diamond has superior material qualities that allow it to handle much more power and heat than most other semiconductors. What it does not have, though, is the decades of research and development into device physics and manufacturing that a mature material like silicon does. In this work, one step will be made towards rectifying this. A compact model will be shown that models a diamond based junction field effect transistor (JFET) with an optically controlled gate terminal. This compact model incorporates the electrical properties of a JFET, the sub-band optical excitation that is responsible for gate control, and a novel “memory-effect”. Results will be compared to TCAD simulations. This compact model will help accelerate the implementation of diamond semiconducting devices into power circuitry.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Electrical & Computer Engr

Grantor

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2025

Author dc:creator

• White, Ethan

Contributors dc:contributor

• Rakheja, Shaloo

• Transistor
• Diamond
• Compact Model

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2025 Ethan White

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129225

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F129225