IEDM tutorial: GaN Power Device Technology and Reliability

#GaN #AlGaN #power_device ##3D-IC #advanced #device #semiconductor #packaging
Excellent material properties of Gallium Nitride (GaN) have promised superior device performance over conventional silicon technologies in power electronics applications. Combination of llarge critical electric field and high electron mobility makes it possible to scale down power devices, which
provides numerous benefits such as smaller input/output capacitances and low on-resistance. In addition, lack of body diode in GaN devices eliminates reverse recovery delay, allowing high frequency operation and opening possibilities for new circuit topologies. Thanks to these benefits, extensive research has been conducted in both academia and industries over the last few decades. Various process technologies have been developed and numerous studies on diverse reliability issues have been conducted. Based on all these efforts, performance and reliability of GaN power devices have improved tremendously and several manufacturers have announced commercial products in recent years. Market adoption is also growing rapidly in various areas from consumer electronics to industrial applications.
This tutorial introduces a broad overview of GaN power device technology. First of all, basics of GaN,
including polarization, device structure, and fabrication process will be covered. Then, various reliability issues will be reviewed, starting from intrinsic device level to real applications. Finally, the tutorial will conclude with a discussion of the recent progress and future of GaN technology.