Wide-bandgap semiconductor materials: For their full bloom

Wide-bandgap semiconductors are expected to be applied to solid-state lighting and power devices, supporting a future energy-saving society. While GaN-based white LEDs have rapidly become widespread in the lighting industry, SiC- and GaN-based power devices have not yet achieved their popular use, like GaN-based white LEDs for lighting, despite having reached the practical phase. What are the issues to be addressed for such power devices? In addition, other wide-bandgap semiconductors such as diamond and oxides are attracting focusing interest due to their promising functions especially for power-device applications. There, however, should be many unknown phenomena and problems in their defect, surface, and interface properties, which must be addressed to fully exploit their functions. In this review, issues of wide-bandgap semiconductors to be addressed in their basic properties are examined toward their full bloom. (C) 2015 The Japan Society of Applied Physics