Diamond semiconductors, the future of the US power grid?

Diamond semiconductors, the future of the US power grid?

Diamond may be the super semiconductor that the US power grid needs, helping the grid and electric vehicles manage large amounts of electricity more efficiently.

Power outages cost the United States more than $150 billion a year, and the grid also faces challenges such as aging infrastructure and increasingly severe weather events. The United States aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, so increasing grid capacity and integrating more renewable energy are critical. Diamond semiconductors can greatly improve the energy efficiency of artificial intelligence data centers, electric vehicles, and small consumer electronics. Therefore, the US government has increased its investment to develop new diamond-based power electronics technology.

Last November, the US Department of Energy announced a $42 million grant to 15 projects to develop next-generation semiconductor technologies to improve grid reliability, resilience, and flexibility. Some of these include: developing diamond semiconductor transistors for grid control infrastructure to accommodate more distributed generation and fluctuating loads; developing ultra-wide bandgap light-triggered devices to meet the needs of fast protection of solid-state transformers; developing photoconductive semiconductor switching devices using advanced ultra-wide bandgap materials to improve control of the grid; developing ultra-wide bandgap switching devices with voltages and speeds exceeding the current most advanced technology, thereby providing more complex control methods for the grid; developing light-triggered diamond semiconductor switching devices to achieve a revolutionary breakthrough in grid protection technology, etc.

In addition, the University of Illinois has also received millions of dollars in funding from the Department of Energy for projects such as developing light-triggered diamond semiconductor switching devices and creating high-power diamond optoelectronic devices.