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Wide Bandgap Technologies for Power Electronics
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Wide Bandgap Technologies for Power Electronics

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "F3: Power Electronics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2021) | Viewed by 23397

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Julien Buckley

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Guest Editor
Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives (CEA), University of Grenoble Alpes, Leti, 38000 Grenoble, France
Interests: gallium nitride; transistors; diodes; new device architectures; power electronics; renewable energies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. René Escoffier

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives (CEA), University of Grenoble Alpes, Leti, 38000 Grenoble, France
Interests: gallium nitride; transistors; diodes; new device architectures; power electronics; spice model; GaN circuits and driver
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Matthew Charles

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives (CEA), University of Grenoble Alpes, Leti, 38000 Grenoble, France
Interests: epitaxy; gallium nitride; new device architectures; vertical devices; power electronics; renewable energies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Wide Bandgap (WBG) semiconductor technologies such as those based on Silicon Carbide and Gallium Nitride address high performance power conversion applications in the context of a fast-growing power electronics market.

The higher critical electrical field of WBGs with respect to Silicon, which is today the most widely used semiconductor in power electronics systems, has allowed the introduction of novel devices with lower conduction and switching losses. The majority of commercial Gallium Nitride devices have a lateral architecture and Silicon Carbide ones a vertical design, both originating from substrate type availability and specific material properties. Novel device-driving strategies and power circuits’ optimizations are developing with the increased availability of WBG power electronics devices. They allow more compact, increasingly efficient, higher frequency power converters and require new packaging strategies with reduced parasitics. These improvements are fueling the interest for Ultra-WBG semiconductors such as AlGaN/AlN, Ga2O3 and diamond that may surpass or complement current power conversion applications.

The objective of this Special Issue is to cover all research activities related to WBG and Ultra-WBG power electronics from materials, process development, devices, circuits and systems to applications and markets.

Dr. Julien Buckley
Dr. René Escoffier
Dr. Matthew Charles
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • (ultra-)wide band gap semiconductors
  • materials and process development
  • epitaxy
  • device fabrication, characterization, simulation and modelling
  • device driving
  • device packaging and power modules
  • power converters
  • applications and markets

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 3571 KiB  
Article
Silicium-Carbide-Based Isolated DC/DC Converter for Medium-Voltage Photovoltaic Power Plants
by Minh Nhut Ngo, Philippe Ladoux, Jérémy Martin and Sébastien Sanchez
Energies 2022, 15(3), 1038; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15031038 - 29 Jan 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2652
Abstract
The production of large-scale photovoltaics (PVs) is becoming increasingly popular in the field of power generation; they require the construction of power plants of several hundred megawatts. Nevertheless, the construction of these PV power plants with conventional low-voltage (LV) conversion systems is not [...] Read more.
The production of large-scale photovoltaics (PVs) is becoming increasingly popular in the field of power generation; they require the construction of power plants of several hundred megawatts. Nevertheless, the construction of these PV power plants with conventional low-voltage (LV) conversion systems is not an appropriate technological path. Particularly, large cross-section cables, a high quantity of semiconductors, and the bulky layout of 50/60-Hz step-up transformers make the PV system less competitive in terms of energy efficiency and cost. To overcome these drawbacks, this paper introduces new PV plant topologies with an intermediate medium-voltage direct current (MVDC) collector that requires galvanic isolation for connecting the PV arrays. Then, the design of a power electronic transformer (PET) is proposed, implementing 1.7-kV and 3.3-kV silicium carbide (SiC) power modules. The study confirms that this converter allows the use of medium-frequency (MF) transformers with high power densities while maintaining high efficiency, which facilitates the implementation of isolated medium-voltage (MV) topologies for utility-scale PV power plants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wide Bandgap Technologies for Power Electronics)
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13 pages, 4212 KiB  
Article
Analytic Model of Threshold Voltage (VTH) Recovery in Fully Recessed Gate MOS-Channel HEMT (High Electron Mobility Transistor) after OFF-State Drain Stress
by René Escoffier, Blend Mohamad, Julien Buckley, Romain Gwoziecki, Jérome Biscarrat, Véronique Sousa, Marc Orsatelli, Emmanuel Marcault, Julien Ranc, Roberto Modica and Ferdinando Iucolano
Energies 2022, 15(3), 677; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15030677 - 18 Jan 2022
Viewed by 2059
Abstract
Today, wide bandgap (WBG) GaN semiconductors are considered the future, allowing the improvement of power transistors. The main advantage of GaN is the presence of two-dimensional electron gas (2Deg) typically used as a conduction layer in normally-on and normally-off transistors. Concerning the normally-off [...] Read more.
Today, wide bandgap (WBG) GaN semiconductors are considered the future, allowing the improvement of power transistors. The main advantage of GaN is the presence of two-dimensional electron gas (2Deg) typically used as a conduction layer in normally-on and normally-off transistors. Concerning the normally-off family, several solutions are proposed. Among these, one of the most promising is the MIS-Gate technology that features a gate recess architecture allowing the semiconductor to physically cut off the 2Deg and drastically decrease gate–source leakage currents. The Vth relaxation characteristic, after voltage stress, has been investigated. It has been shown that the main impact is due to charges close to the gate dielectric/GaN interface, precisely dwelling within the dielectric or the GaN epitaxy. This work provides an analytical model of the Vth evolution of these MIS-GATE (metal insulator semiconductor gate) transistors fabricated on GaN-silicon substrate. This model allows the extraction of different trap energy levels from a temporary threshold voltage (Vth) shift after 650 V stress. Based on this method, it is possible to identify up to four different trap energy levels. By comparing state of the art methods, we show that these obtained energy levels are well correlated with either magnesium and carbon impurity or Ga and/or N vacancy sites in the GaN epitaxy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wide Bandgap Technologies for Power Electronics)
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9 pages, 2566 KiB  
Article
High Power Normally-OFF GaN/AlGaN HEMT with Regrown p Type GaN
by Gwen Rolland, Christophe Rodriguez, Guillaume Gommé, Abderrahim Boucherif, Ahmed Chakroun, Meriem Bouchilaoun, Marie Clara Pepin, Faissal El Hamidi, Soundos Maher, Richard Arès, Tom MacElwee and Hassan Maher
Energies 2021, 14(19), 6098; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14196098 - 24 Sep 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2500
Abstract
In this paper is presented a Normally-OFF GaN HEMT (High Electron Mobility Transistor) device using p-doped GaN barrier layer regrown by CBE (Chemical Beam Epitaxy). The impact of the p doping on the device performance is investigated using TCAD simulator (Silvaco/Atlas). With 4E17 [...] Read more.
In this paper is presented a Normally-OFF GaN HEMT (High Electron Mobility Transistor) device using p-doped GaN barrier layer regrown by CBE (Chemical Beam Epitaxy). The impact of the p doping on the device performance is investigated using TCAD simulator (Silvaco/Atlas). With 4E17 cm−3 p doping, a Vth of 1.5 V is achieved. Four terminal breakdowns of the fabricated device are investigated, and the origin of the device failure is identified. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wide Bandgap Technologies for Power Electronics)
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26 pages, 8588 KiB  
Article
Comparisons on Different Innovative Cascode GaN HEMT E-Mode Power Modules and Their Efficiencies on the Flyback Converter
by Chih-Chiang Wu, Ching-Yao Liu, Sandeep Anand, Wei-Hua Chieng, Edward-Yi Chang and Arnab Sarkar
Energies 2021, 14(18), 5966; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14185966 - 20 Sep 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3943
Abstract
The conventional cascode structure for driving depletion-mode (D-mode) gallium nitride (GaN) high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) raises reliability concerns. This is because of the possibility of the gate to source voltage of the GaN HEMT surging to a negative voltage during the turn [...] Read more.
The conventional cascode structure for driving depletion-mode (D-mode) gallium nitride (GaN) high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) raises reliability concerns. This is because of the possibility of the gate to source voltage of the GaN HEMT surging to a negative voltage during the turn off transition. The existing solutions for this problem in the literature produce additional drawbacks such as reducing the switching frequency or introducing many additional components. These drawbacks may outweigh the advantages of using a GaN HEMT over its silicon (Si) alternative. This paper proposes two innovative gate drive circuits for D-mode GaN HEMTs—namely the GaN-switching based cascode GaN HEMT and the modified GaN-switching based cascode GaN HEMT. In these schemes, the Si MOSFET in series with the D-mode GaN HEMT is always turned on during regular operation. The GaN HEMT is then switched on and off by using a charge pump based circuit and a conventional gate driver. Since the GaN HEMT is driven independently, the highly negative gate-to-source voltage surge during turn off is avoided, and in addition, high switching frequency operation is made possible. Only two diodes and one capacitor are used in each of the schemes. The application of the proposed circuits is experimentally demonstrated in a high voltage flyback converter, where more than 96% efficiency is obtained for 60 W output load. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wide Bandgap Technologies for Power Electronics)
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10 pages, 3311 KiB  
Article
Characterization of m-GaN and a-GaN Crystallographic Planes after Being Chemically Etched in TMAH Solution
by Nedal Al Taradeh, Eric Frayssinet, Christophe Rodriguez, Frederic Morancho, Camille Sonneville, Luong-Viet Phung, Ali Soltani, Florian Tendille, Yvon Cordier and Hassan Maher
Energies 2021, 14(14), 4241; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14144241 - 14 Jul 2021
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 4804
Abstract
This paper proposes a new technique to engineer the Fin channel in vertical GaN FinFET toward a straight and smooth channel sidewall. Consequently, the GaN wet etching in the TMAH solution is detailed; we found that the m-GaN plane has lower surface roughness [...] Read more.
This paper proposes a new technique to engineer the Fin channel in vertical GaN FinFET toward a straight and smooth channel sidewall. Consequently, the GaN wet etching in the TMAH solution is detailed; we found that the m-GaN plane has lower surface roughness than crystallographic planes with other orientations, including the a-GaN plane. The grooves and slope (Cuboids) at the channel base are also investigated. The agitation does not assist in Cuboid removal or crystallographic planes etching rate enhancement. Finally, the impact of UV light on m and a-GaN crystal plane etching rates in TMAH has been studied with and without UV light. Accordingly, it is found that the m-GaN plane etching rate is enhanced from 0.69 to 1.09 nm/min with UV light; in the case of a-GaN plane etching, UV light enhances the etching rate from 2.94 to 4.69 nm/min. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wide Bandgap Technologies for Power Electronics)
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23 pages, 44059 KiB  
Article
A New GaN-Based Device, P-Cascode GaN HEMT, and Its Synchronous Buck Converter Circuit Realization
by Chih-Chiang Wu, Ching-Yao Liu, Guo-Bin Wang, Yueh-Tsung Shieh, Wei-Hua Chieng and Edward Yi Chang
Energies 2021, 14(12), 3477; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14123477 - 11 Jun 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3682
Abstract
This paper attempts to disclose a new GaN-based device, called the P-Cascode GaN HEMT, which uses only a single gate driver to control both the D-mode GaN and PMOS transistors. The merit of this synchronous buck converter is that it can reduce the [...] Read more.
This paper attempts to disclose a new GaN-based device, called the P-Cascode GaN HEMT, which uses only a single gate driver to control both the D-mode GaN and PMOS transistors. The merit of this synchronous buck converter is that it can reduce the circuit complexity of the synchronous buck converter, which is widely used to provide non-isolated power for low-voltage and high-current supply to system chips; therefore, the power conversion efficiency of the converter can be improved. In addition, the high side switch using a single D-mode GaN HEMT, which has no body diode, can prevent the bi-directional flow and thus reduce the power loss and cost compared to a design based on a series of two opposite MOSFETs. The experiment shows that the proposed P-Cascode GaN HEMT efficiency is above 98% when it operates at 500 kHz with 6 W output. With the input voltage at 12 V, the synchronous buck converter provides an adjustable regulated output voltage from 1.2 V to 10 V while delivering a maximum output current of 2 A. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wide Bandgap Technologies for Power Electronics)
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10 pages, 10411 KiB  
Article
Constant-Current Gate Driver for GaN HEMTs Applied to Resonant Power Conversion
by Héctor Sarnago, Óscar Lucía, Iulian O. Popa and José M. Burdío
Energies 2021, 14(9), 2377; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14092377 - 22 Apr 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2259
Abstract
New semiconductor technology is enabling the design of more reliable and high-performance power converters. In particular, wide bandgap (WBG) silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) technologies provide faster switching times, higher operating temperature, and higher blocking voltage. Recently, high-voltage GaN devices have [...] Read more.
New semiconductor technology is enabling the design of more reliable and high-performance power converters. In particular, wide bandgap (WBG) silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) technologies provide faster switching times, higher operating temperature, and higher blocking voltage. Recently, high-voltage GaN devices have opened the design window to new applications with high performance and cost-effective implementation. However, one of the main drawbacks is that these devices require accurate base current control to ensure safe and efficient operation. As a consequence, the base drive circuit becomes more complex and the final efficiency is decreased. This paper presents an improved gate driver circuit for GaN devices based on the use of a constant current regulator (CCR). The proposed circuit achieves constant current regardless of the operating conditions, solving variations with temperature, aging and operating conditions that may degrade the converter performance. Besides, the proposed circuit is reliable and cost-effective, being applicable to a wide range of commercial, industrial and automotive applications. In this paper, its application to a zero-voltage switching resonant inverter for domestic induction heating was performed to prove the feasibility of this concept. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wide Bandgap Technologies for Power Electronics)
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