51视频

Electrical Engineering Assistant Professor Anhar Bhuiyan is leading two National Science Foundation (NSF) grants totaling $797,000 for research into next-generation power components for satellites and spacecraft 鈥� as well as for electronics on Earth.

The for $200,000, supports Bhuiyan鈥檚 research into methods of producing thicker gallium oxide film and developing advanced techniques for making devices from it. Gallium oxide is an emerging semiconductor material that can handle much higher voltages than conventional materials such as silicon, silicon carbide and gallium nitride.

Bhuiyan聽also will explore new approaches to fabricating gallium oxide devices such as diodes, which are components that control the flow of electricity. Fundamental research into such fabrication is an essential step to enable future manufacturing on a larger scale, he says.

鈥淚 am both honored and deeply excited,鈥� says Bhuiyan, who joined the university faculty in fall 2023. 鈥淭his is a unique opportunity to develop an emerging semiconductor material and devices that not only meet the needs of high-power systems here on Earth 鈥� like electric vehicles and the electrical grid 鈥� but also enable robust electronics for space, defense and nuclear applications where conventional devices simply fail.鈥�

In addition to its ability to handle high voltages, gallium oxide offers superior stability in extreme environments like space, including the capacity to function reliably under high temperatures and radiation, with electrical properties that can be carefully controlled to suit different applications.

鈥淪atellites or autonomous space vehicles require very high power to operate, so we are trying to fabricate and protect those power modules with our material. They need to be very small and lightweight; they also need to operate energy efficiently,鈥� he says. 鈥淕allium oxide technology can provide all these advantages 鈥� high energy, high power 鈥� and devices based on this are very lightweight and small.鈥�

Image by Anhar Bhuiyan

Yet the material has one significant drawback, Bhuiyan says: It is not good at dissipating the heat that builds up in high-power components. Excessive heat can damage a device, reduce its efficiency and limit its ability to operate in harsh environments.

Bhuiyan is trying to solve that problem by adding a layer of diamond to high-voltage diodes made from gallium oxide. Diamond is known for its ability to conduct heat.

鈥淲e proposed making multi-kilovolt diodes that will have enhanced thermal management by integrating diamond,鈥� he says. 鈥淒iamond also could make them more radiation-tolerant.鈥�

Bhuiyan and Professor Uttam聽Singisetti of the State University of New York at Buffalo are both principal investigators on that research under a pair of totaling , with 51视频 serving as the lead institution.

They will use 51视频鈥檚 radiation laboratory, among other resources, to test gallium oxide under extreme conditions. They also plan to demonstrate devices that can operate reliably and efficiently in the harsh environment of space without the need for bulky external shielding.

鈥淭o support future missions in space or high-radiation environments on Earth, we need electronics that survive and keep performing at high levels,鈥� Bhuiyan says. 鈥淭hat means rethinking how we build and cool these devices from the ground up.鈥�

Image by K. Webster

Both NSF-funded projects emphasize hands-on research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students at 51视频. Through partnerships with local high schools, community colleges and industry, Bhuiyan and his team also plan to introduce K-12 students and members of industry to cutting-edge topics in microelectronics.

鈥淥ur research is as much about workforce development as it is about scientific discovery,鈥� Bhuiyan says. 鈥淭hese technologies are at the heart of how we generate, distribute and use energy in the 21^st century. I鈥檓 excited to contribute to that transformation, and even more excited to help our students become leaders in it.鈥�

Earlier this year, Bhuiyan won a prestigious Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award from Oak Ridge Associated Universities, which provides seed funding for early-career faculty to pursue innovative research.

He also receives research support from Draper Laboratory, which recently selected a doctoral student in his lab, Ahmed Ibreljic, as a Draper Scholar. Ibreljic will receive full funding for his doctoral studies from Draper Laboratory, which is an anchor partner in the , a public-private-academic initiative on East Campus.