Charge-balanced Schottky diode for high-voltage low-loss
This patent describes a new type of Schottky barrier diode — a semiconductor device used to control the flow of electrical current — built using a heterostructure that generates a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) at the interface of two materials. The key innovation is a charge-balancing design: a layer of oppositely doped material is added whose charge precisely cancels the charge in the electron channel when the diode is blocking reverse voltage. This balance allows the diode to block high voltages without breaking down while still switching on and off quickly and efficiently. The architecture is particularly well-suited for wide-bandgap semiconductor platforms like GaN or AlGaN, which are prized in high-power, high-frequency electronics.
What you could build
A high-voltage, low-loss power rectifier diode for use in power converters, EV inverters, and fast-charging infrastructure; the primary buyers would be power semiconductor manufacturers and fabless chip designers targeting GaN or similar wide-bandgap power device markets.
Who in Virginia should care
Defense electronics and power systems contractors in Northern Virginia and the Hampton Roads corridor — including primes working on shipboard power, directed energy, and EV charging infrastructure for military bases — would have direct interest.
Readiness: Lab validated
Concept — described but not yet demonstrated. Lab validated — supported by experimental results in the patent. Prototype likely — the text describes a built, working embodiment.
Readiness is inferred from the patent text, not from a lab visit.
The record
- Inventors
- Yuhao ZHANG, Ming XIAO
- Granted
- December 24, 2024
- Status
- Granted patent
- Patent number
- 12176442
Ready to talk?
Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties handles licensing for this technology.
Prosim summaries are generated from public patent text and are not legal advice.