IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v16y2024i2p901-d1323207.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Cradle-to-Gate Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of GaN Power Semiconductor Device

Author

Listed:
  • Laura Vauche

    (CEA, LETI, University Grenoble Alpes, F-38000 Grenoble, France)

  • Gabin Guillemaud

    (CEA, LETI, University Grenoble Alpes, F-38000 Grenoble, France)

  • Joao-Carlos Lopes Barbosa

    (CEA, LETI, University Grenoble Alpes, F-38000 Grenoble, France)

  • Léa Di Cioccio

    (CEA, LETI, University Grenoble Alpes, F-38000 Grenoble, France)

Abstract

Wide Band Gap (WBG) semiconductors have the potential to provide significant improvements in energy efficiency over conventional silicon (Si) semiconductors. While the potential for energy efficiency gains is widely researched, the relation to the energy and resource use during manufacturing processes remains insufficiently studied. In order to appraise the performance of the technology thoroughly, issues such as raw material scarcity, toxicity and environmental impacts need to be investigated in detail. However, sparse Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) data are available for the two currently most widespread WBG semiconductor materials, gallium nitride (GaN or GaN/Si) and silicon carbide (SiC). This paper, for the first time, presents a cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment for a GaN/Si power device. To allow for a full range of indicators, life cycle assessment method EF 3.1 was used to analyze the results. The results identify environmental hotspots associated with different materials and processes: electricity consumption for the processes and clean room facilities, direct emissions of greenhouse gases, gold (when used), and volatile organic chemicals. Finally, we compare this result with publicly available data for Si, GaN and SiC power devices.

Suggested Citation

  • Laura Vauche & Gabin Guillemaud & Joao-Carlos Lopes Barbosa & Léa Di Cioccio, 2024. "Cradle-to-Gate Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of GaN Power Semiconductor Device," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(2), pages 1-18, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:2:p:901-:d:1323207
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/2/901/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/2/901/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Briac Baudais & Hamid Ben Ahmed & Gurvan Jodin & Nicolas Degrenne & Stéphane Lefebvre, 2023. "Life Cycle Assessment of a 150 kW Electronic Power Inverter," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(5), pages 1-18, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Florentin Salomez & Hugo Helbling & Morgan Almanza & Ulrich Soupremanien & Guillaume Viné & Adrien Voldoire & Bruno Allard & Hamid Ben-Ahmed & Daniel Chatroux & Antoine Cizeron & Mylène Delhommais & M, 2024. "State of the Art of Research towards Sustainable Power Electronics," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(5), pages 1-23, March.
    2. Salvatore Martelli & Valerio Martini & Francesco Mocera & Aurelio Soma’, 2024. "Life Cycle Assessment Comparison of Orchard Tractors Powered by Diesel and Hydrogen Fuel Cell," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(18), pages 1-29, September.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:2:p:901-:d:1323207. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.