Development of new technologies for the fabrication of advanced semiconductor power devices

Power semiconductor devices are a key enabling technology in modern energy-conversion systems, providing the interface between electrical sources, energy-storage elements, and a wide range of loads in industrial, consumer, and automotive applications. Among these sectors, automotive electronics is undergoing a rapid transformation driven by the widespread use of electric and hybrid vehicles, which places increasingly stringent requirements on power devices in terms of efficiency, reliability, lifetime, and loss control. As the penetration of electric vehicles increases, the amount of energy processed by power electronics grows accordingly. Inefficiencies in power devices directly translate into heat generation, energy losses, additional cooling requirements, and increased environmental impact. Consequently, even incremental improvements in conduction losses, switching behaviour, and process uniformity can yield significant benefits in terms of global energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Reducing process variability and manufacturing-related waste therefore represents a critical objective for a sustainable energy transition. Within this context, silicon-based power devices such as PIN (P-type/Intrinsic/N-type)diodes remain fundamental thanks to their robustness, cost-effectiveness, and compatibility with highvolume manufacturing. They are widely employed in traction inverters, onboard chargers, DC–DC converters, and other automotive power-conversion stages. However, optimizing their electrical performance—particularly forward conduction and reverse-recovery behaviour—requires precise control of dopants, defects, and recombination centers introduced during fabrication. This challenge lies at the core of the present thesis, which focuses on the optimization of silicon power-device manufacturing processes and on the development of calibrated TCAD simulation methodologies to support technology development. The work addresses three complementary aspects: • process characterization and control, through the study of industrial ion implantation tools, their stability, and metrology strategies aimed at reducing variability and improving manufacturing robustness; • experimental optimization of lifetime-control techniques, with a particular emphasis on comparing conventional platinum diffusion with an innovative approach based on platinum ion implantation; • advanced TCAD(Technology Computer-Aided Design) process and device modelling, including the calibration of dopant diffusion and the development of a dedicated modelling framework for platinum. By integrating process engineering, experimental validation, and simulation, this thesis contributes to the optimization of silicon power-device manufacturing, supporting the development of more efficient, controllable, and sustainable power-electronics technologies.