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Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Institute of Science Tokyo, University of Tsukuba and Quemix Corporation announced a world-first explanation of how hydrogen creates free electrons in silicon through its interaction with specific crystal defects—an advance that can cut power losses in insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) and open pathways for future ultra-wide bandgap devices.
Using first-principles calculations alongside electrical, optical and ESR measurements, the team showed that when hydrogen binds near the I4 defect (an interstitial silicon pair), it shifts the defect’s electronic states to favor electron release; the electron associated with hydrogen moves to the defect, which then emits a free electron.
Mitsubishi Electric also reported technical demonstrations on 1,200 V-class devices showing total power-loss reductions of 10% in IGBTs and 20% in diodes versus its 7th-generation products—performance gains linked to the newly clarified hydrogen mechanism and complementary substrate thinning.
Beyond silicon, initial calculations suggest the approach could help control electron levels in ultra-wide bandgap materials such as diamond and AlN, which are notoriously difficult to dope, potentially benefiting power semiconductors, RF devices and quantum sensors.
The collaborators aim to extend this mechanism to next-generation materials to further improve device efficiency and support decarbonization goals.
Original – Mitsubishi Electric
