GaN Power Electronics: Novel Materials, Technologies and Devices

Power electronics represents 20 % of the total electronics industry and it plays a key role in many of the roadmaps developed during the last few years to reduce the energy consumption in the world. The excellent transport properties of GaN, in combination with its large bandgap, make this semiconductor an ideal material to revolutionize power electronics in terms of efficiency and operating frequency and temperature. In this talk, we will review the state-of-the-art in GaN power transistors for three different voltage levels: less than 70 V for computer power supplies, 200-800 V for direct connection to the power outlet, and more than 1200 V for electric vehicles and grid-level applications. Our group is developing InAlN/GaN high electron mobility transistors for use in applications that require breakdown voltages below 70 V. The very low sheet resistance characteristic of InAlN/GaN heterostructures allows the fabrication of transistors with record on-resistance and high switching frequencies. In addition, it is possible to co-integrate these devices Si CMOS electronics in the same chip, which allows for new flexibility in the design of new power supplies and Si microsystems (Figure 1)