The NEIT Lab has secured two prestigious DARPA projects to advance thermal management in high power GaN RF devices. These projects aim to reduce device thermal resistance, improve power density, and enhance overall performance.

In the first project, researchers will integrate high thermal conductivity dielectric materials with GaN RF transistors, enabling a better understanding of thermophysical properties and thermal interface resistances. State-of-the-art measurement techniques will be employed to assess thermal properties and create thermal resistance and temperature maps of operating devices.

The second project, in collaboration with Raytheon under DARPA’s THREAD program (FROSTBITE), focuses on integrating thermal management solutions at the die level. By utilizing experimental measurements and advanced modeling techniques, the team will design optimized architectures that minimize thermal resistance and enhance heat spreading.

We are collaborating with Dean Samuel Graham, a leader in WBG power electronics packaging on these projects.