The team of Velox Semiconductor Corporation (Velox) and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), proposes to demonstrate the feasibility of using a single, monolithic, all-GaN integrated Diode(s) Driven Gate (DDG) HFET to achieve normally-off device operation with specifications required for Navy applications. Utilizing this structure, the team intends to demonstrate an initial normally-off device with threshold voltage (VT) higher than 2.5V (Phase I) without jeopardizing other Hetero-junction Field Effect Transistor (HFET) performance indicators, such as specific on-resistance (Ron), maximum current density (Jd,max) and switching frequency (f). This solution will provide a significant device performance and reliability improvement due to the ability to optimize the power transistor in the structure.
Benefit: The GaN switch will allow higher conversion efficiencies due to lower parasiitc losses as well as small system volume due to higher switching frequencies.
Keywords: power switches, GaN FET, power electronics