Active Gate Driver and Management of the Switching Speed of GaN Transistors during Turn-On and Turn-Off

Abstract

The paper investigates the management of drain voltage and current slew rates (i.e., dv/dt and di/dt) of high-speed GaN-based power switches during the transitions. An active gate voltage control (AGVC) is considered for improving the safe operation of a switching cell. In an application of open-loop AGVC, the switching speeds vary significantly with the operating point of the GaN HEMT on either or both current and temperature. A closed-loop AGVC is proposed to operate the switches at a constant speed over different operating points. In order to evaluate the reduction in the electromagnetic disturbances, the common mode currents in the system were compared using the active and a standard gate voltage control (SGVC). The closed-loop analysis carried out in this paper has shown that discrete component-based design can introduce limitations to fully resolve the problem of high switching speeds. To ensure effective control of the switching operations, a response time fewer than 10 ns is required for this uncomplex closed-loop technique despite an increase in switching losses.

A New Method of The Active Gate Driver for Current Balancing in The Parallel MOSFET Circuits

“…The disparity in MOSFET current distribution can have critical implications for the reliability and performance of power electronic systems, particularly when used in applications with resistive loads. The nonuniform current distribution in the parallel configuration can lead to uneven heating, potential hotspots, and reduced overall efficiency 1,23) . Based on the above experimental result, this AGD study selected MOSFET 1 with the lowest current value as the Master MOSFET and the others as Slave MOSFETs.…”

“…The development of electronic technology plays an important role in supporting a majority demand in various sectors, ranging from industry 1) , household needs, renewable energy 2) , electrical machines drivers 3) , and transportation 4) . This development requires high-power and reliable electronic components.…”

“…The current imbalance produces differentiation in transient current stress, power loss, and junction temperature among the MOSFETs, which affects a decline in device performance, increased thermal failure, and potentially leads to device failure 1,11,[14][15][16][25][26][27][28][29] . Therefore, the evenly current share control for parallel assembly MOSFETs is required.…”

A Comprehensive Overview of the Temperature-Dependent Modeling of the High-Power GaN HEMT Technology Using mm-Wave Scattering Parameter Measurements

“…Since their inception in the early 1990s [1], the aluminum-gallium-nitride/galliumnitride (AlGaN/GaN) high electron-mobility transistor (HEMT) devices have greatly evolved. The GaN-based transistors have been demonstrated to be a very attractive solution for various applications [2][3][4], such as high-frequency power amplifiers [5][6][7][8][9][10]; high-power switching systems [11][12][13]; optoelectronics [14][15][16]; and, recently, quantum computing electronics [17]. The huge interest in the adoption of this unique and disruptive Electronics 2023, 12, 1771 2 of 15 III/V semiconductor technology for an ever-growing gamut of applications is due to its extraordinary physical properties [18][19][20][21][22] (e.g., wide bandgap, large breakdown electric field, unprecedented power density, good thermal conductivity, high working temperature, high electron mobility, high electron saturation velocity, strong spontaneous and piezoelectric polarization, and a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) with a high sheet carrier density).…”