Imec demonstrates successful monolithic integration of Schottky diodes and depletion-mode HEMTs with 200 V GaN-IC

Find the Latest SoC Solutions
for... Automotive... IoT... Security... Audio... Video

The addition of these components will boost the performance of GaN power systems.

www.imec-int.com, Dec. 13, 2021 – 

LEUVEN (Belgium), 13 December 2021– This week, at the 2021 International Electron Devices Meeting (IEEE IEDM 2021), imec, a world-leading research and innovation center in nanoelectronics and digital technologies, presents the successful co-integration of high-performance Schottky barrier diodes and depletion-mode HEMTs on a p-GaN HEMT-based 200 V GaN-on-SOI smart power integrated circuits (ICs) platform developed on 200 mm substrates. The addition of these components enables the design of chips with extended functionality and increases performance that takes monolithically-integrated GaN power ICs one step further. This achievement paves the way towards smaller and more efficient DC/DC convertors and Point-of-Load convertors .

Today, GaN power electronics are still dominated by discrete components driven by an external driver IC that generates the switching signals. However, to take full advantage of the fast-switching speed, GaN offers, monolithic integration of power devices and driver functions is recommended. Imec has already successfully demonstrated the monolithic co-integration of a half-bridge and drivers with control and protection circuits that are key to an integrated all-GaN power IC in one chip.

One of the main hurdles to boost the full performance of GaN power ICs remains finding a suitable solution for the lack of p-channel devices in GaN with acceptable performance. CMOS technology uses complementary and more symmetrical pairs of p- and n-type field-effect transistors (FETs), based on the mobilities of holes and electrons for both types of FETs. However, in GaN, the mobility of holes is about 60 times worse than that of electrons. That means a p-channel device, where holes are the principal carriers, would be 60 times larger than the n-channel counterpart and highly inefficient. A widespread alternative is replacing the P-MOS with a resistor. Resistor-Transistor Logic (RTL) has been employed for GaN ICs but shows trade-offs between switching time and power consumption.

click here to read more...

 Back