Abstract
This work presents a physics-based compact GaN device model that can predict the performance characteristics of a wide range of GaN devices for power electronics applications. The model has been validated against the measured characteristics of a 650 V commercially available GaN device. The higher voltage range devices exhibit quasi-saturation on-state behavior due to drift resistance, which is evident from their on-state behavior. Also, higher voltage GaN devices have significant nonlinear capacitance characteristics due to the presence of field plates connected to the source and gate terminals. The field plates are fabricated to improve the electric-field distribution in the channel. The field plates result in significant nonlinearity in the channel capacitance that can be quantified as successive depletion in the device capacitances. The model accurately captures these phenomena in the dc and C-V device characteristics. The model also captures the third-quadrant behavior of all GaN devices with model parameters that are decoupled from the first quadrant while maintaining continuity between the first and third quadrants. Dynamic validation of the model is performed from the double-pulse test. The proposed model can be used to characterize commercially available high-voltage GaN devices that can be used in power electronic applications and design.
Highlights
Power electronics and semiconductor device technology play a vital role in efficient and reliable electrical energy conversion
To the best of our knowledge, this level of nonlinearity has not been characterized in any published model. This combination of successive depletion and an upward trend in reverse capacitance is observed in enhancement-mode GaN devices for power electronics applications with breakdown voltages in excess of 600 V
The simulated versus measured device characteristics show good agreement for the device switching characteristics
Summary
Power electronics and semiconductor device technology play a vital role in efficient and reliable electrical energy conversion. Several GaN-based device models have become available in recent years but most of these models reported so far have been characterized for depletion-mode RF HEMT devices [17]–[19]. Physics-based and is derived based on a depletion-mode RF GaN device that can capture the RF noise and charge trapping behavior under the high-frequency operation of the RF power amplifier. This model’s capability can be extended to power GaN devices as it has been verified in [18]. The main components of the model that determine the dc and CV/charge behavior are described in the following subsections
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