Reliability Assessment of GaN Power Switches

The original scope this project was reduced to reflect personnel changes and a significant budget reduction. In its modified version the project aimed at initial development of test structures, testing methods, and physics-based device models for reliability assessment of novel GaN power switches. Only commercially available GaN devices from EPC were available to the team and some of the testing and method development also utilized commercially available Si and SiC power switch devices. Testing set-ups and methods were established developed for temperature-dependent I-V measurements, high-temperature reverse-bias measurements, and dvdt testing. Possibilities for single event burnout testing were examined as well. Device simulation under the conditions of some of the testing was performed on Silvaco TCAD software using device models that were developed following publshed work on GaN HEMT switches. The examined devices were found to match or exceed the specifications. Undesirable switching latching of enhancement-mode devices under blue light were observed.