Two-Dimensional Materials for Raman Thermometry on Power Electronic Devices

Raman thermometry is a powerful technique for sub-microscale thermal measurements on semiconductor-based devices, provided that the active region remains accessible and is not obscured by metallization. Since pure metals do not exhibit Raman scattering, traditional Raman thermometry becomes ineffective in such cases. To overcome this limitation, we propose the use of atomically thin Two-Dimensional materials as local temperature sensors. These materials generate Raman spectra at the nanoscale, enabling highly precise absolute surface temperature measurements. In this study, we investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of this approach by applying it to power devices, including a calibrated gold resistor and an SiC Junction Barrier Schottky (JBS) diode. We assess the processing challenges and measurement reliability of 2D materials for thermal characterization. To validate our findings, we complement Raman thermometry with thermoreflectance measurements, which are well suited for metallized surfaces. For example, on the serpentine resistor, Raman thermometry applied to the 2D material yielded a thermal resistance of 22.099 °C/W, while thermoreflectance on the metallic surface measured 21.898 °C/W. This close agreement suggests good thermal conductance at the metal/2D material interface. The results demonstrate the potential of integrating 2D materials as effective nanoscale temperature probes, offering new insights into thermal management strategies for advanced electronic components. Additionally, thermal simulations are conducted to further analyze the thermal response of these devices under operational conditions. Furthermore, we investigate two 2D material integration methods, transfer and direct growth, and evaluate them through measured thermal resistances for the SiC JBS diode, highlighting the influence of the deposition technique on thermal performance.