Half-bridge Concepts for High Blocking Voltage GaN HEMTs (EU Public Funded Project ‘InRel-NPower‘

Abstract:
GaN power semiconductors with lower blocking voltages are well established meanwhile in low- and mid-power applications for highly efficient power conversion. However, especially for industrial and automotive drive inverters – in a power class of 20 kW up to 30 kW – semiconductor intrinsic normally-off characteristics for higher blocking voltages than 650 V under distinct elevated reliability levels are mandatory. As well, low-inductance power module design elements down to few nH are mandatory for the higher switching frequency ability and the steeper voltage and current gradients in comparison to Silicon power devices. Therefore the partner in the EU public funded project ‘InRel-NPower’ research on new robust and reliable GaN-on-Si devices for higher blocking voltages than 650 V – with respect to DC-link voltage levels towards 800 V – and assembly and interconnection technologies for low-inductance module concepts enabling those new devices towards system level.