SBIR-STTR Award

A simple and reliable method to estimate the channel temperature of GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMT) is proposed. The technique is based on electrical measurements of performance related figures of merit (IDmax and RON) with a synchronized pulsed I-V setup. As our technique involves only electrical measurement, no special design in device geometry is required and packaged devices can be measured.

Benefit:
This technique can be built into commercially available reliability test equipment to improve reliability testing by greatly improving the estimation of the most important parameter of device reliability, component junction temperature. With an established customer base and established sales and marketing functions, Accel-RF is in an excellent position to proliferate the use of this technique to greatly improve state-of-the-art reliability testing and prediction.

Keywords:
Reliability, Reliability, junction temperature, Measurement, accelerated testing, HEMT, channel temperature, GaN

Advances in RF components, DC sources, and computer density offer the ability to make significant improvements in cost and density by enabling a paradigm shift. The innovation proposed here is to integrate much of the existing Accel-RF technologies into a compact single-DUT unit that employs a local on-board computer that may operate as a stand-alone device. The system control computer provides high level automation, shared resource management, data aggregation, and data analysis.

Benefit:
Current system density for a 16-channel RF system is ~6,600 cu. in. per channel (e.g. rack system of 48 x55 x40 ). The existing Accel-RF stand-alone docking station is ~800 cu. in. (10 x10 x8 ). Accel-RF believes all of the required circuitry to integrate the RF, DC, and thermal control would fit in roughly the same size, 800 cu. in. Hence, this is almost a 10x improvement in density. Achieving this level of super-integration and autonomous governance shall allow a

Keywords:
Autonomous Cybernetic Controller , Accelerated Life Test , Elevated Temperature Testing , RF High Temperature Operating Life, Automated Test Equipment