GN001 Application Brief
How to drive GaN Enhancement mode HEMT
Updated on Mar-24-2016
GaN Systems Inc.
GaN Systems – 1
Basics
Basics
Design considerations
Driver selection
Design examples
PCB Layout
Switching Testing results
Latest update Mar. 24, 2016
Please visit http://www.gansystems.com/whitepapers.php for latest version of this document
GaN Systems – 2
Fundamentals of GaN Systems E-HEMT
GaN Enhancement mode High Electron Mobility Transistor (E-HEMT):
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Lateral 2DEG (2-dimensional electron gas) channel formed between AlGaN and GaN layers
Positive gate bias opens up 2DEG channel
0V or negative gate voltage shuts off 2DEG and block forward conduction
• Voltage driven: Gate driver charges/discharges (CGD + CGS)
• No DC gate driving current needed: gate leakage current only (IGSS)
GaN E-HEMT simplified structure
E-HEMT circuit model
GaN Systems – 3
Si substrateGaNAl GaNSDG2DEGVGSVDSIGSSIDS2DEGDRAINGATECGDCGSCDSSOURCE
Gate Characteristics GaN E-HEMT vs. other technologies
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Similar gate drive requirement to Silicon MOSFET/IGBT
• Much Smaller gate charge – Lower drive loss, faster rise & fall time
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Lower gate voltage – Select right gate driver UVLO
Easy 5 to 6.5V gate drive with maximum rating +7V and +10V transient
0V to turn off, typical VGTH=1.5V.
• Negative voltage improves gate drive robustness but optional
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Easy slew rate control using gate resistor
Gate drive voltage level
GaN Systems
GaN E-HEMT
Si MOSFET
Maximum rating
-10/+7V
+/-20V
Transient maximum
-20/+10V*
IGBT
+/-20V
+/-30V
SIC MOSFET
-8/+18V
Typical operational values
0 or -3/+5-6.5V
0/+10-12V
0 or -9/+15V
-4/+15V
[*] pulse width < 1uS
GaN Systems – 4
GaN E-HEMT Reverse Conduction
• No parasitic body diode: Zero QRR Loss & very high dv/dt ruggedness
• GaN E-HEMT is naturally capable of reverse conduction, without external diode
• Unlike MOSFETs/IGBT, reverse current flow through same 2DEG channel as forward conduction
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“Diode” like reverse behavior is VGS dependent
Drain-source forward bias:
Reverse bias VGS=0V:
Reverse bias with -VGS:
When VGS ≤ 0V: no channel conduction
• One can consider D/S swapped in
reverse bias mode
2DEG channel starts to conduct
when VSD = VGS’ (VGD) > VGTH = ~1.5V
Reverse current flows in 2DEG
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2DEG starts to conduct when
VSD = VGTH + VGS_OFF
-VGS increases reverse voltage
drop VSD
GaN Systems – 5
Si substrateGaNAl GaNSDG2DEGV+VSD(S’)(D’)VGS’Si substrateGaNAl GaNSDG2DEGV+VDSDSV+S (D’)D(S’)GV+VGS’S (D’)D(S’)GV+VGS’VGS_OFF
Reverse Conduction Loss model
GS66508T reverse I/V characteristics
2-quadrant bidirectional current flow in 2DEG channel
VGS = 6V (on-state):
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• Reverse Rds(on) same as forward conduction
• Ploss_rev= ISD
2x RDS(ON), Tj
VGS=-2V
VGS ≤ 0V (off-state):
• Modeled as “diode” with VF + channel resistance Rrev_on
that is higher than RDS(ON) in forward conduction
2 X RREV(ON) + ISD x (VGTH + VGS_OFF)
• VSD increases with the negative gate voltage applied
• Ploss_rev = ISD
How does it affect the design:
• No external anti-parallel diode required
• No QRR Loss (QOSS loss only), perfect fit for half bridge
where hard commutation is required – Higher efficiency
and more robust without body diode
VGTH
VGTH + 2V
Reverse bias model
• Higher reverse conduction loss, for optimal efficiency:
• Minimize dead time and utilize synchronous drive
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Prefer 0V for turn-off
GaN Systems – 6
VGSTH + VGS_OFFRREV_ON
Reduce Losses using Dead time & Synchronous driving
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Synchronous driving with minimum dead time
is recommended for optimum efficiency
• Dead time can be selected by considering the
worst case gate driver propagation delay
skewing + switching rise/fall time
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For 650V GS66508T/P: typical 50-100ns
For 100V GS61008P: typical 15-20ns
25ns Delay difference for Si8261 Isolated gate driver
Total switching time 26ns for GS66508T (RG=10Ω, TJ=125°C)
GaN Systems – 7
ParametersSymbolValueUnitConditionsTurn-on delay timetd(on)4.5nsRise timetr6.3nsTurn-off delay timetd(off)9.3nsFall timetf5.4nsGS66508T TJ=125°CVDD=400V, VGS=6V, ID=16A, RG=10Ω
Design Considerations
Basics
Design considerations
Driver selection
Design examples
PCB Layout
Switching Testing results
GaN Systems – 8