Investigation of Very Low Ron 650V GaN FETs in Copper Clip Package for Use in High Power Converters

Abstract:
Power converters with high power density, such as traction inverters, represent a major challenge for power semiconductor devices. They require semiconductor technology with low on-resistance, clean and low-loss switching transitions and packages that combine minimized inductance and low effective thermal resistance. In this paper, the switching performance of new experimental 7mOhm, 650V discrete GaN cascode prototypes in 12x12mm top-side cooled copper clip SMD package CCPAK is investigated in a low-inductance double-pulse test. Subsequently, the performance of the prototypes in high-current hard-switching inverter operation is evaluated and a brief overview of the high-frequency soft-switching performance is given.