Demonstration of 13.56-MHz class-E amplifier using a high-Voltage GaN power-HEMT

• Published in: IEEE electron device letters Vol. 27; no. 5; pp. 326 - 328
• Main Authors: Saito, W., Domon, T., Omura, I., Kuraguchi, M., Takada, Y., Tsuda, K., Yamaguchi, M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01.05.2006; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Aluminum gallium nitride; Amplifiers; Applied sciences; Capacitance; Circuit properties; Devices; Electric potential; Electric, optical and optoelectronic circuits; Electronic circuits; Electronic equipment and fabrication. Passive components, printed wiring boards, connectics; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; Gallium nitride; Gallium nitride (GaN); Gallium nitrides; HEMT; HEMTs; High electron mobility transistors; high frequency; High power amplifiers; high voltage; MOSFETs; Radio frequency; Semiconductor devices; Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices; Switching; Switching circuits; Switching frequency; Switching, multiplexing, switched capacity circuits; Transistors; Voltage; Performance evaluation; Output power; Class E; HEMT; Gallium nitride (GaN); Output circuit; Power supply; Power electronics; Amplifier; Switching; Overvoltage; High electron mobility transistor; High voltage; Drain voltage; Selector switch; High frequency
• ISSN: 0741-3106; 1558-0563
• DOI: 10.1109/LED.2006.873756

A 13.56-MHz class-E amplifier with a high-voltage GaN HEMT as the main switching device is demonstrated to show the possibility of using GaN HEMTs in high-frequency switching power applications such as RF power-supply applications. The 380-V/1.9-A GaN power HEMT was designed and fabricated for high-voltage power-electronics applications. The demonstrated circuit achieved the output power of 13.4 W and the power efficiency of 91% under a drain-peak voltage as high as 330 V. This result shows that high-voltage GaN devices are suitable for high-frequency switching applications under high dc input voltages of over 100 V.