Northrop Grumman Corporation I US

imec I Belgium

Robert Bosch GmbH I Germany

As future electronic systems evolve to meet next-generation application demands, there is a growing need for devices capable of higher performance metrics, including greater output power for RF applications, enhanced power handling in switching and protection circuits, and reliable operation at elevated temperatures…

Silicon photonics, a technology where optical and electronic components are integrated on the same platform, is rapidly growing from a small niche to a technology enabler for higher speed data transmission in data centers, telecommunications, and high-performance computing…

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Development of next-generation UWBG electronics for high-reliability industry applications

As future electronic systems evolve to meet next-generation application demands, there is a growing need for devices capable of higher performance metrics, including greater output power for RF applications, enhanced power handling in switching and protection circuits, and reliable operation at elevated temperatures. While SiC and GaN technologies have delivered significant advancements over legacy Si and GaAs, emerging Ultra-Wide Bandgap (UWBG) semiconductors, such as AlN, diamond, and Ga₂O₃, offer the potential for transformative improvements in RF, power, and optoelectronic devices. Despite this promise, UWBG materials and devices remain in the early stages of development. This presentation will explore the current state of UWBG materials and device research, emphasizing shared technical challenges, including materials, fabrication, thermal management, passives, and reliability. By addressing these challenges, the field can accelerate progress toward a system-level implementation of UWBG technologies

Vincent Gambin is the leader of the New Semiconductors and Devices group within the NG Research Labs at Northrop Grumman Space Systems, where he focuses on exploring novel materials and devices for next-generation electronics. With over 20 years of experience at Northrop Grumman, Vincent has been at the forefront of research and development in semiconductor optoelectronics and high-speed electronics, pioneering advancements in GaAs, InP, GaN, and ultra-wide bandgap (UWBG) devices.

Vincent earned his Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from Stanford University, where his academic work laid the foundation for his career in cutting-edge semiconductor research. At Northrop Grumman, Vincent has led several research programs, including serving as the Principal Investigator for DARPA’s Heterogeneous Heterostructures (H2) and ICECool Applications, along with beta-Ga₂O₃ research projects. His current portfolio includes DARPA Modular Efficient Laser Technology (MELT), Ultra-Wide Band Gap Semiconductors (UWBGS), and Technology for Heat Removal in Electronics at the Device Scale (THREADS). These programs aim to push the boundaries of innovation in UWBG electronics, laser devices, and advanced cooling technologies.

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Reliability challenges of Silicon Photonic devices and its related Failure Analysis challenges

Silicon photonics, a technology where optical and electronic components are integrated on the same platform, is rapidly growing from a small niche to a technology enabler for higher speed data transmission in data centers, telecommunications, and high-performance computing.  Such fast growing field poses challenges and opportunities for the reliability and failure analysis engineers working in this field. This presentation overviews such challenges and opportunities encountered in the context of imec’s Silicon Photonics reliability research. For each developed device (being photo diodes, modulators, heaters, lasers, …), the related degradation mechanisms will be introduced together with their proposed testing and qualification methodologies and failure analysis challenges. The basics of each device will be introduced in detail such that the presentation can be followed by a broader audience with interests in reliability and failure analysis.

Kristof Croes received an MSc in physics and biostatistics. He obtained a PhD concerning the development of statistical techniques for planning reliability experiments. For seven years, he was product and application manager of the package level reliability products of the Singaporean based company Chiron holdings. Beginning 2007, he went back to research, where he is currently scientific director working on the reliability of advanced interconnects, packages and silicon photonics devices. Kristof was an (invited/tutorial) speaker at several leading-edge semi-conductor conferences [IRPS, IEDM, IITC, IPFA, ADMETA, …]. He also (co)authored more than 100 articles in the field of reliability.

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