Active Thermal Management for <i>β</i>-Ga₂O₃ Schottky Barrier Diodes Based on Thermoelectric Coolers

In view of the lower thermal conductivity of β-Ga<sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><roman>2</roman></sub>O<sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><roman>3</roman></sub>, effective heat dissipation is crucial for maintaining its high output power and reliability. This study presents an active thermal management model for β-Ga<sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><roman>2</roman></sub>O<sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><roman>3</roman></sub> Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) using thermoelectric coolers (TECs), employing both experimental and numerical methods. The heat generated by the SBD can be effectively dissipated to the surroundings through the Peltier effect in thermoelectric (TE) materials. Experimental results show that, with a TEC input current of 6 A, the case temperature remains below 25 <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">∘</sup>C even at an SBD output power of 25 W, achieving a maximum junction temperature reduction of 74.5 <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">∘</sup>C compared to when the TEC is off. At a TEC input current of 3 A, the net output power of the SBD reaches 11.8 W, corresponding to an improvement ratio of 36.9%. In simulation, TEC parameters are analyzed to optimize the junction temperature. For every 0.1-mm reduction in the height of TE legs, the junction temperature decreases by 5.3 <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">∘</sup>C. The Seebeck coefficient significantly impacts the junction temperature through co-optimization of material parameters. This work provides guidance for designing and optimizing the thermal management of β-Ga<sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><roman>2</roman></sub>O<sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><roman>3</roman></sub> SBDs with TECs.