A landmark development led by researchers from the University of Glasgow could help create a new generation of diamond-based transistors for use in high-power electronics. Their new diamond transistor overcomes the limitations of previous developments in the technology to create a device much closer to being of practical use across a range of industries which rely on high power systems. The team have found a new way to use diamond as the basis of a transistor that remains switched off by default - a development crucial for ensuring safety in devices which carry a large amount of electrical current when switched on.
Diamond has an inherent property known as a wide band gap, meaning it is capable of handling much higher voltages than silicon - the material the majority of transistors are made from - before electrically breaking down. In power electronic applications, that means that transistors made from materials such as diamond can withstand significantly higher voltages and deliver higher power than silicon transistors.
The team’s diamond transistor could find applications in sectors where large voltages are required and efficiency is highly-valued, like power grids or electric vehicles.
Professor David Moran, of the University of Glasgow’s James Watt School of Engineering, led the research team with partners from RMIT University in Australia and Princeton University in the USA. Their research is published as a paper in the journal Advanced Electronic Materials.
Professor Moran said: “Transistors are essentially switches that control electrical current. Devices like computers or smartphones use billions of tiny silicon-based transistors which draw small amounts of power, but power electronics use much fewer switches at significantly higher power levels.
“The challenge for power electronics is that the design of the switch needs to be capable of staying firmly switched off when it’s not in use to ensure it meets safety standards, but it must also deliver very high power when turned on.