Compared to conventional silicon, gallium nitride (GaN) is much more capable of operating under high temperatures, high voltages, and high power levels due to its superior material properties. Transistors fabricated with GaN have shown to have a higher efficiency, and their breakdown field is also an order of magnitude higher. Although existing GaN transistors have already been proven to have much better performance than conventional transistors, they are still far from their theoretical limits. In this project, GaN high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) will be stressed under different experimental conditions to help understand their breakdown mechanisms and develop models for GaN devices to push their operating limits.

I am really interested in semiconductors and power electronics and their promising applications, and I am very excited to have the opportunity to work on GaN transistors that have great potential to change the future. Through my SuperUROP project, I would like to gain more hands-on research experience in the field and apply what I ve learned in class to real-world applications.