For Release:           Immediate – June 20, 2023
Contact:                  Steve Ference, Director of University Marketing & Communications | (518) 429-7742| sference@sunypoly.edu

Two Grants Support Dr. Sung’s Efforts to Make Power Electronics More Efficient and Sustainable

ALBANY, NY – SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly) announced today that College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) Associate Professor of Nanoengineering Dr. Woongje Sung has been selected to receive $325,000 in total funding from Sandia National Laboratories for the development, process simulation, and eventual manufacture of bi-directional field effect transistors (BiDFETs) which ultimately bring significant benefits in terms of cost reduction and improved reliability to Silicon Carbide (SiC)-based devices, which are used in a range of applications, such as electric drive trains in electric vehicles. The first grant for $225,000 is a collaborative research endeavor with The Ohio State University and NoMIS Power, a SUNY Poly spinoff led by SUNY Poly post-doctoral researcher Adam Morgan, and the second grant of $100,000 is focused on BiDFETs for grid-tied energy storage.

This project represents a seamless continuation of Dr. Sung’s ongoing effort at SUNY Poly, where his research team currently engages in the development of 1.2kV SiC rugged metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs), computer chip “switches” specifically designed for electric vehicle (EV) applications. The project is generously supported by the Vehicle Technology Office of the Department of Energy (DoE).

“On behalf of SUNY Poly, I am proud to congratulate Dr. Sung for these two awards which are supporting the next-generation research, development, and manufacture of power electronics,” said SUNY Poly Officer-in-Charge Dr. Andrew Russell. “This is also exciting as it provides opportunities for hands-on research experiences for graduate students who will be at the forefront of improving this promising technology, which can then be applied to a number of clean energy applications. This is a prime example of how SUNY Poly, CNSE, and researchers across New York State are driving the kinds of advancements that can support success of the U.S. Chips and Science Act, as well as related 21^st century careers.”

Graduate students will participate in the initiative by designing and optimizing SiC power MOSFETs and BiDFETs as well as testing and evaluating the fabricated devices. Overall, the team will help to advance new power conversion system topologies, or the ways in which components are connected, while facilitating high switching frequency, high junction temperature, and high breakdown voltage capabilities. In addition, the maturation of SiC device processing has paved the way for innovative device architectures, including the introduction of the bi-directional switch, which has opened up possibilities for novel circuit topologies that offer cost reduction and improved reliability, ultimately driving the evolution of power electronics toward more efficient and sustainable solutions.

“I am grateful to Sandia National Laboratories and the Department of Energy for their continued support of our work,” said Dr. Sung. “The project will consist of three primary tasks: BiDFET process simulation, process design, and transfer to a SiC foundry for fabrication, along with device characterization. To develop the 1.2kV and 3.3kV SiC BiDFETs, we plan to leverage the combined expertise of SUNY Poly and Sandia National Labs, with our primary focus being on integrating advanced designs to achieve significant enhancements in device performance.”

This effort builds on previous and ongoing research efforts by Dr. Sung, including a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Vehicle Technology Office (VTO) for the development of 1200V silicon carbide MOSFET, and for reliability studies of Aluminum Gallium Nitride-based high electron mobility transistors (HEMT), the switch components of power electronic chips, which are superior to their silicon–based counterpart in areas such as cost, performance, and reliability. More information about this joint research effort is available here.

####################

About SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly
SUNY Poly is New York’s globally recognized, high-tech educational ecosystem. SUNY Poly offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in the emerging disciplines of nanoscience and nanoengineering, as well as cutting-edge nanobioscience programs at its Albany campus, and undergraduate and graduate degrees in technology, including engineering, cybersecurity, computer science, and the engineering technologies; professional studies, including business, communication, and nursing; and arts and sciences, including natural sciences, game design, mathematics, humanities, and social sciences at its Utica campus; thriving athletic, recreational, and cultural programs, events, and activities complement the campus experience. As the world’s most advanced, university-driven research enterprise, SUNY Poly boasts billions of dollars in high-tech investments and hundreds of corporate partners since its inception. For information visit www.sunypoly.edu.