Recently, the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) announced the list of projects approved for the 2024 National Natural Science Foundation Young Student Basic Research Projects (PhD students). The project of Shi Qingyuan, a PhD student in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Applied Electronics (EEA), was approved, with a funding amount of CNY 300,000.

Shi Qingyuan is a PhD student directly admitted to the High Voltage and Insulation Technology Research Institute of EEA in 2021, under the supervision of Professor Zeng Rong. He has published three first-author papers in top journals in computational mathematics, including J. Comp. Phys.. His approved project, "Simulation Method of High Voltage Large Capacity IGCT Devices Based on Model Order Reduction and Improvement of Turn-Off Capability," was built on his research experience in semiconductor simulation algorithms and software during his PhD. The project aims to break through the traditional approach of solving full-order PDE models, developing a reduced-order model that balances accuracy and efficiency, efficiently revealing the mechanisms affecting IGCT turn-off capability, and proposing reliable design solutions to support the performance improvement of domestic IGCT devices. With the support of his supervisor and team, Shi has developed domestically controllable semiconductor device simulation (TCAD) software from scratch, accumulating 200,000 lines of C++ core code. The software has established all real physical models supporting IGCT device research and development, achieving computational accuracy comparable to monopolistic TCAD software, with some computational speeds even surpassing them. This software has been applied to a major project at the Huairou Laboratory, supporting the research and development of domestic high-performance power devices with advanced parameters.

The National Natural Science Foundation Young Student Basic Research Project (PhD students) was first piloted in 2023. This project aims to select a group of outstanding PhD students with solid foundations and strong potential for development in scientific research. It supports them to independently choose research directions for basic research and interdisciplinary studies within the scope of NSFC funding, providing more opportunities to take on key roles, develop the ability to conduct independent scientific research, enhance scientific interest, stimulate innovative thinking, and improve scientific literacy. This will help build a high-level basic research team and provide high-quality talent reserves. The project is implemented through a "recommendation + review" model, involving multiple steps such as individual applications by PhD students, university selection recommendations, communication reviews organized by the NSFC, and meeting reviews. This rigorous selection process ensures that only the best projects are chosen for funding. EEA has received three approved PhD student projects over the past two years.