$450,000
2026
Radiation Effects in GaN High-Electron-Mobility Transistors, toward Radiation-Hardness-by-Design
Investigators: Taewoo Kim (PI); Ravindra Joshi, ECE Chair (Co-PI)
Partners: Los Alamos National Laboratory, Ion Beam Materials Laboratory, through the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies (CINT) user program
Exposes GaN HEMTs to proton radiation under controlled conditions and tracks changes in their physical and electrical properties. The project links radiation-induced defects to changes in charge transport to build a physics-based, predictive framework for radiation-hardness-by-design, with the goal of cutting device qualification from months of testing to as little as one confirmatory test. Applications include satellite communications, defense radar, deep-space missions and high-power electronics. The project also introduces undergraduate and high-school students to semiconductor and space-technology research.