Michael J. Hennessy

Liquid nitrogen cooled integrated power electronics module with high current carrying capability and lower on resistance

This letter presents the development of high-performance integrated cryogenic power modules, where both driver components and power metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors are integrated in a single package, to be used in a 50kW prototype cryogenic inverter operating at liquid nitrogen temperature. The authors have demonstrated a compact high-voltage, cryogenic integrated power module that exhibited more than 14 times improvement in on-resistance and continuous current carrying capability exceeding 40A. The modules are designed to operate at liquid nitrogen temperature with extreme thermal cycling. The power electronic modules are necessary components that provide control and switching for second generation, yttrium barium copper oxide-based high temperature superconductor devices including cables, motors, and generators.

SiGe and Ge Cryogenic Power Transistors

We have undertaken development of power semiconductor devices based on SiGe and Ge, intended for operation over a wide temperature range, from room temperature down to deep cryogenic temperatures, ~30 K (~ -240{degree sign}C). We summarize results for Ge diodes (~10 A/400 V), Ge junction field-effect transistors (Ge JFETs, ~0.5 A/30 V), Ge metal-insulator field-effect transistors (Ge MIS-FETs ~1 A/20 V) and SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistors (SiGe HBTs, ~10 A/50 V). As a practical demonstration, we have used SiGe HBTs and SiGe diodes as the active devices in 100-W power-conversion circuits, operating from room temperature down to ~30 K (~ -240{degree sign}C) with increased efficiency as temperature de-creases. Our developments demonstrate the potential of alternative semiconductor materials to provide excellent performance for power applications down to deep cryogenic temperatures.