This book presents progress in device processing and materials characterization of the wide-bandgap semiconductor gallium nitride (GaN) and related materials for power electronics applications. The content of the book is based on the output of multiple well defined and actively managed programs from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). The material is organized into eight parts with a total of 28 chapters contributed from invited experts that were part of the ARPA-E programs along with chapters from a few select experts from around the world who are actively engaged in GaN and related WBG semiconductor research and development.

The book includes an overview of GaN power electronic devices and systems and a comprehensive review of the key vertical device processing challenges (Part I), detailed descriptions of bulk GaN substrate technology (Part II), discussions of the challenges in GaN epitaxial growth and processing (Part III), an in-depth examination of approaches and challenges in GaN selective area p-type doping with an eye towards mechanistic understanding (Part IV), an overview of innovative material characterization techniques developed to understand the device processing challenges (Part V), an analysis of the fundamental materials properties of GaN in relation to its use in power electronics (Part VI), a discussion of related earlier stage nitride wide bandgap materials development and application in power electronics and other applications (Part VII), and concludes with a forward-looking discussion of the areas that still need research and development to push the limits of power electronics to utilize wide bandgap semiconductors along with potential high impact application areas (Part VIII).

This book is intended to be an essential reference for anyone working in either basic research or advanced development of vertical architecture GaN power electronics and technologies. It is anticipated this book will become a go-to reference for any scientist and engineer working in any nitride semiconductor material seeking an updated coverage of the state-of-the-art processing and characterization techniques that will push GaN know-how to new materials and device frontiers.