The Workshop on Defects in Wide Bandgap (WBG) Semiconductors will be held at the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland (near Washington, DC) on the 23rd of September, 2014. Wide Band Gap (WBG) semiconductors including Silicon Carbide (SiC) and Gallium Nitride (GaN) have the potential for transformative impact on the 21st century energy economy. However, a high density of crystal defects in WBG materials is significantly hindering the progress in realizing many of the beneficial attributes of WBG-based power electronics systems. For example, there is an overwhelming evidence to suggest that manufacturing yield and cost are critically controlled by material defects. Recent results also suggest that the long-term reliability of WBG-based power electronics systems may be seriously compromised although definitive conclusions cannot be reached. The main objective of this one-day workshop is to bring together nation's leading experts in the WBG supply chain to identify fundamental research needs in WBG materials for advancing power electronics switching applications.
