Compound Semiconductor Seminar - Saurav Roy
Compound Semiconductors: Electronics, Photonics & Quantum Seminar
Thursday, November 20, 2025, 12:00PM
Attend in person at the Engineering Sciences Building 1001
Saurav Roy, Postdoctoral Researcher, Krishnamoorthy Group
β-Ga2O3 based High Voltage Vertical Electron Transistors for Next Generation of Power Electronics
ABSTRACT: The rapid expansion of smart grids and artificial intelligence infrastructure is driving unprecedented global energy demand, with projections indicating that these technologies will consume more than 2% of the world’s electricity by 2035. To support this surge, the next generation of power electronics must deliver higher efficiency, faster switching, and greater power density. Solid-state transformers are emerging as a transformative solution due to their superior speed, compact form factor, and design flexibility. Among semiconductor materials, β-Ga₂O₃ stands out as a uniquely advantageous platform, offering an ultra-high critical electric field, exceptional voltage blocking capability, and the ability to be grown into large-area substrates with low extended defect density (>103 cm-2). In addition, the presence of shallow hydrogenic donors enables excellent electrical performance, positioning β-Ga₂O₃ ahead of competing wide and ultra-wide bandgap materials for next-generation power conversion systems.
In this seminar, I will present the design, optimization, fabrication, and characterization of high-voltage β-Ga₂O₃-based vertical Fin Field-Effect Transistors (FinFETs) engineered for kilovolt-class applications. Several generations of vertical FinFET architectures will be examined, highlighting key performance improvements and breakthroughs enabled by innovative device designs. The seminar will cover the implementation of field-oxide engineering, edge dielectric technologies, and advanced electrostatic control strategies. Furthermore, the switching performance of these transistors will be explored in depth, including the demonstration of novel split-gate architectures that enable rapid switching and reduced power loss. Collectively, these advancements chart a path toward highly efficient, and scalable β-Ga₂O₃ power devices that will redefine the performance limits of future power electronic systems.
BIO: Dr. Saurav Roy earned his Ph.D. in Materials Science in December 2024 from the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), where he subsequently joined the Materials Department as a postdoctoral researcher. He has been recognized for his outstanding research contributions with multiple prestigious awards, including the Institute for Energy Efficiency (IEE) Excellence in Research Fellowship for 2022–2023 and the Outstanding Graduate Student Research Achievement Award in both 2022–2023 and 2023–2024 at the 9th and 10th Annual SSLEEC Review Conferences. He is also the recipient of the Best Paper Award at the Gallium Oxide Workshop 2025 (GOX 2025). Dr. Roy will be joining North Carolina State University as an Assistant Professor in January 2026.
Dr. Roy’s research focuses on the design, fabrication, and characterization of power and radio-frequency devices based on wide and ultra-wide bandgap (UWBG) semiconductors, with a particular emphasis on β-Ga₂O₃. His work spans TCAD simulation, analytical device modeling, epitaxial growth using metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), and advanced fabrication of high-voltage vertical transistors and diodes. He has pioneered the development of dielectric superjunction architectures in β-Ga₂O₃ and demonstrated in-situ dielectric integration using MOCVD—establishing new pathways for achieving high-efficiency, high-breakdown-voltage power electronics.