NRL Epitaxial Growth of Ultra-wide Bandgap Semiconductors for Next-generation RF Electronics
This research aims to improve the growth of ultra-wide bandgap semiconductors like diamond and AlN to enhance RF electronics performance through better voltage handling and thermal management.
This grant is no longer accepting proposals
NRC Research Associateship Programs has archived this opportunity.
Funder: NRC Research Associateship Programs
Due Dates: May 1, 2025 (Closedate)
Funding Amounts: $99,200 stipend plus $3,000 travel allowance; typical postdoctoral fellowship duration 2-3 years.
Summary: Postdoctoral fellowship supporting research on epitaxial growth of ultra-wide bandgap semiconductors to advance next-generation RF electronics with improved voltage handling and thermal management.
Key Information: Open to U.S. citizens and permanent residents; requires Ph.D. earned within last 5 years; relocation and health insurance benefits included.
Description
This postdoctoral research opportunity at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) focuses on the epitaxial growth of ultra-wide bandgap semiconductors for next-generation radio frequency (RF) electronics. As GaN-based wide-bandgap materials near commercialization, new materials with bandgaps in the 4.5-6 eV range, such as diamond, cubic boron nitride (c-BN), and aluminum nitride (AlN), offer potential for significant improvements in voltage handling (2-10x), RF output power, efficiency, and thermal management.
The research aims to understand how epitaxial growth processes influence point and extended defects, morphology, and ultimately the electrical, acoustic, and optical properties of these novel materials. The program encourages collaboration with NRL device scientists to correlate materials properties with electronic device performance through early-stage fabrication and testing of test structures and full devices.
Materials of interest include:
- Diamond and cubic boron nitride (bandgaps 5.5-6.4 eV) with high thermal conductivity and heterostructure engineering potential.
- AlN (bandgap 6.2 eV) and pseudobinary alloys of novel nitride semiconductors such as ScN, YN, LaN, alongside traditional InN and GaN.
- Additional nitride materials complementing ultra-wide bandgap capabilities.
NRL provides extensive facilities including:
- Two modern nitride molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) systems with multi-pocket e-beam evaporators.
- Comprehensive materials characterization tools (X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, deep-UV photoluminescence, Hall effect, CV, pulsed IV, RF electrical test benches).
- Access to in-house and campus-wide state-of-the-art cleanrooms.
Candidates with experience in epitaxial growth, ultra-high vacuum hardware, and materials characterization are encouraged to apply.
