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Robust Integrated Power Electronics (RIPE)
Power electronics play a critical role in nearly every military and commercial system by providing high quality power from the energy sources to the loads with low parasitic losses. Modern power electronics are often manufactured from silicon semiconductor material. While silicon-based power electronics are ubiquitous and mature, there are inherent limitations in frequency, voltage, current, and performance due to the underlying material properties. New semiconductor material systems may enable development of more compact, more efficient, and more robust power electronics. The Robust Integrated Power Electronics (RIPE) Program intends to pursue research and development of the most promising devices and circuits in these material systems, and to explore the integration of those new technologies with other electronics and components to provide significant overall enhancements in power electronics or electronics for harsh environments.
A system's power electronic circuits usually consists of several types of power devices (transistors, thyristors, diodes, etc.), gate drives and control circuits, and reactive elements. The goal of the DARPA/MTO RIPE program is to develop advances in integrated devices and circuits technologies to enable order of magnitude improvements in the most important parameters, such as, but not limited to, overall size and weight, efficiency, power density, and functional capability. Miniaturization and efficiency enhancement may enable new power system architectures, based on a distributed model where the power circuits are coupled closely to the loads. Of greatest interest are those new device and circuit technologies that can provide substantial improvements over the current state-of-the-art, specifically in the power range of about 1 kilowatt to about 100 kilowatts, or enable operation of interesting integrated circuits in harsh environments.
Due to their inherent material properties, wide bandgap semiconductors such as silicon carbide and gallium nitride can handle high voltages and current densities, can be switched at high frequencies, and can operate at elevated temperatures. Operation of power electronics at higher frequencies means that the physical size of the magnetic components can be scaled down, roughly as 1/frequency. Maintaining power efficiency with scaled components and high switching frequencies is a major challenge. Advances in substrate technology have occurred, providing relatively large defect-free regions that allow fabrication of single devices that handle high currents. If the defect-free regions are sufficient in area, or other clever means of integration are developed, then it is conceivable that integrated circuits could be formed in these same regions, perhaps coupling power devices with control logic. This program is interested in those semiconductor technologies that allow the greatest and most effective integration of devices and components to yield robust integrated power electronic assemblies.
The RIPE Program will pursue development of integrated power electronic circuits in the range of 1-100kW, and circuits that can operate in excess of 225 degrees centigrade. The program is interested in those technologies and approaches that lead to the most effective device integration that provides a substantial benefit at the system level. Applications include but are not limited to power converters, power supplies, active protection circuits, operational amplifiers, sensor signal conditioners and processors, etc.
The following table is intended to provide some guidance on the RIPE Program's target intentions for technology development.
| Metric | Today | 18 Months | 36 Months | 48 Months |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transistor count | Single device demonstrations | 20/chip | 100/chip | 500/chip |
| Control logic transistor performance | CMOS | Ft > 1GHz, 30V | Ft > 5GHz, 50V | Ft > 10GHz, 50V |
| Temperature of operation | 125°C | 175°C | 225°C | 300°C |
| Converter device performance | .1MHz, (silicon) | 10MHz, 300V, 2A | 30MHz, 500V, 3.5A | 100MHz, 600V, 5A |
| Converter efficiency | 85% | 90% | 94% | 97% |
| Volumetric efficiency | 50W / cubic inch | 100W / cubic inch | 150W / cubic inch | 500W / cubic inch |
| Circuit demonstration (specific to notional DC:DC converter) | Power half bridge with protection; Op. Amp.; logic gates | Power device full bridge with protection; integrated gate driver circuits | PWM driver, load adapter and regulator integrated with power bridge |
Areas of Interest:
- Devices and Circuits: This area seeks innovative technical approaches to the creation of devices and integrated circuits that enable significant enhancements in any or all aspects of appropriate performance and size/weight parameters.
- Reactive Components and Assemblies: Reactive elements such as transformers, inductors, capacitors, resonators, saturable cores, etc. are often important components in power electronic subsystems and analog/mixed signal.
- Applications: This area seeks compelling applications and demonstrations of the utility of the technologies and components developed in this program.