Dynamic Characterization of Molded Devices and Fundamental Investigations on Reliability

(Third Party Funds Group – Sub project)

Overall project: Efficient Energy Conversion of the Future with Next-Generation GaN Power Electronics
Project leader: Lothar Frey
Project members: Thomas Heckel
Start date: 1. April 2014
End date: 31. March 2017
Acronym: ZuGaNG
Funding source: BMBF / Verbundprojekt
URL:

Abstract

In this project, fundamental investigations are carried out regarding the reliability as well as dynamic switching characteristics of GaN devices. Defects in the semiconductor material are correlated with the electrical behavior of the components in order to improve the reliability. This is also made possible by the manufacturing and investigation of special GaN test structures in the μm scale in order to develop new characterization methods. Furthermore, the dynamic switching characteristics of GaN transistors are investigated. This includes the measurement of the gate charge and the dynamic on-resistance. In order to circumvent the disadvantages of conventional normally-on GaN transistors, hybrid normally-off cascodes and suitable drive circuits are also examined.

Publications

Heckel T., Rettner C., März M.:
Fundamental Efficiency Limits in Power Electronic Systems
2015 IEEE International Telecommunications Energy Conference, INTELEC 2015
DOI: 10.1109/INTLEC.2015.7572399
Eckardt B., Heckel T.:
High Power Density Automotive Converters using SiC or GaN Power Devices
Automotive Power Electronics International Conference (APE)
URL: http://www.sia.fr/publications/157-high-power-density-automotive-converters-using-sic-or-gan-power-devices
Heckel T., Frey L.:
A Novel Charge Based SPICE Model for Nonlinear Device Capacitances
3rd IEEE Workshop on Wide Bandgap Power Devices and Applications, WiPDA 2015
DOI: 10.1109/WiPDA.2015.7369263
Endruschat A., Heckel T., Reiner R., Waltereit P., Quay R., Ambacher O., März M., Eckardt B., Frey L.:
Slew rate control of a 600 V 55 mΩ GaN cascode
4th IEEE Workshop on Wide Bandgap Power Devices and Applications, WiPDA 2016 (Fayetteville, AR, 7. November 2016 - 9. November 2016)
DOI: 10.1109/WiPDA.2016.7799963