A 96% Efficient High-Frequency DC-DC Converter Using E-Mode GaN DHFETs on Si

• Published in: IEEE electron device letters Vol. 32; no. 10; pp. 1370 - 1372
• Main Authors: Das, J., Everts, J., Van Den Keybus, J., Van Hove, M., Visalli, D., Srivastava, P., Marcon, D., Kai Cheng, Leys, M., Decoutere, S., Driesen, J., Borghs, G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01-10-2011; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Aluminum gallium nitride; Aluminum gallium nitrides; Applied sciences; Circuit properties; Circuits; Converters; Devices; DH-HEMTs; efficiency; Electric, optical and optoelectronic circuits; Electronic circuits; Electronic equipment and fabrication. Passive components, printed wiring boards, connectics; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; Gallium nitride; Gallium nitrides; GaN; high voltage; Logic gates; Other multijunction devices. Power transistors. Thyristors; power field-effect transistors (FETs); Power loss; Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices; Signal convertors; Silicon; SPICE; Switches; Switching; Transistors; Voltage measurement; Ternary compound; Performance evaluation; Binary compound; Power converter; Output power; Gallium nitride; Power transistor; GaN; Frequency converter; Power losses; Switching time; SPICE; power field-effect transistors (FETs); efficiency; Up converter; Direct current convertor; Aluminium nitride; Converters; Power electronics; III-V compound; Switching; Field effect transistor; High voltage; Heterojunction field effect transistor; High frequency; Figure of merit
• ISSN: 0741-3106; 1558-0563
• DOI: 10.1109/LED.2011.2162393

III-Nitride materials are very promising to be used in next-generation high-frequency power switching applications. In this letter, we demonstrate the performance of normally off AlGaN/GaN/AlGaN double-heterostructure FETs (DHFETs) using a boost-converter circuit. The figures of merit of our large (57.6-mm gate width) GaN transistor are presented: R ON * Q G of 2.5 Ω·nC is obtained at V DS = 140 V. The switching performance of the GaN DHFET is studied in a dedicated high-frequency boost converter: both the switching times and power losses are characterized. We show converter efficiency values up to 96.1% at 500 kHz and 93.9% at 850 kHz at output power of 100 W.