Fast System to measure the dynamic on-resistance of on-wafer 600 V normally off GaN HEMTs in hard-switching application conditions

• Published in: IET power electronics Vol. 13; no. 11; pp. 2390 - 2397
• Main Authors: Barbato, Alessandro, Barbato, Marco, Meneghini, Matteo, Silvestri, Marco, Detzel, Thomas, Haeberlen, Oliver, Spiazzi, Giorgio, Meneghesso, Gaudenzio, Zanoni, Enrico
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: The Institution of Engineering and Technology 19.08.2020
• Subjects: boost converter circuit; dynamic on‐resistance; dynamic RDSON behaviour; electric resistance measurement; field‐activated trapping process; gallium compounds; GaN; GaN high electron mobility transistors power devices; GaN‐based power transistors; GaN‐HEMT devices; hard‐switching conditions; HEMT power device; high electron mobility transistors; hot electrons; III‐V semiconductors; normally off GaN HEMT; on‐wafer level dynamic properties; power HEMT; RDSON measurement time; Research Article; semiconductor device measurement; voltage 600.0 V; wide band gap semiconductors; gallium compounds; power HEMT; dynamic on-resistance; high electron mobility transistors; on-wafer level dynamic properties; electric resistance measurement; semiconductor device measurement; RDSON measurement time; field-activated trapping process; hard-switching conditions; dynamic RDSON behaviour; GaN-HEMT devices; hot electrons; voltage 600.0 V; GaN; GaN-based power transistors; HEMT power device; normally off GaN HEMT; wide band gap semiconductors; GaN high electron mobility transistors power devices; III-V semiconductors; boost converter circuit
• ISSN: 1755-4535; 1755-4543; 1755-4543
• DOI: 10.1049/iet-pel.2019.1455

This study presents a novel system to investigate the on-wafer level dynamic properties of GaN-based power transistors in hard-switching application conditions. The system is able to analyse devices with an on-resistance (RDSON) in the range from few ohms to hundreds of ohms, and can be effectively used to improve the development process of GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) power devices at the wafer level. Contrary to the conventional double-pulse setup, where a resistive load is usually used in combination with a very low duty cycle, the dynamic RDSON is acquired during realistic operating conditions, in a boost converter circuit. Consequently, the authors’ system is able to study not only the field-activated trapping processes, but also those induced by hard-switching conditions, i.e. promoted by hot electrons and self-heating. The maximum working voltage (600 V) and the minimum RDSON measurement time after turn-on (2 µs) allow evaluating the operation limit of the devices in a voltage/frequency range close to real switching conditions. Working on the wafer level allows a more realistic assessment of the dynamic RDSON behaviour before the packaging phase, which is very important to improve the production and development process of GaN-HEMT devices.