A fully integrated half-bridge driver circuit in All-GaN GAN-IC technology

Abstract

To unlock the full potential of fast switching GaN technology, monolithic integration of power circuit is crucial. GaN-IC ensures a fast efficient switching operation by reducing the parasitic inductance of interconnections significantly. In this paper, we demonstrate a monolithically integrated half-bridge power switch with its corresponding driving stage and the protection circuits that is realized by using our GAN-on-SOI technology. A low gate threshold voltage along with a low gate overdrive makes the driving of a GaN HEMT difficult. An optimized gate driver design is important to fully utilize a GaN power switch. This is also crucial for overall system effi-ciency, robustness, and EMI performance. Along with the design description this paper discusses the challenges and the design considerations of the GaN power IC.