GaN power IC design using the MIT virtual source GaNFET compact model with gate leakage and VT instability effect

This work presents the MIT virtual source GaNFET model for GaN integrated circuit (IC) design, which is adapted to model the threshold voltage (V-T) instability and p-GaN gate leakage. Because of the lack of GaN pFETs, the source follower topology is often implemented in GaN ICs, suffering from an instable V-T drop from rail to gate. With the adapted model, the simulation successfully reproduced the evolution of the output waveforms of a monolithically integrated GaN driver circuit under switching stress. Moreover, the gate voltage redistribution of the power p-GaN gate HEMTs controlled by the integrated GaN driver is evidently proved to strongly depend on the gate leakage. If neglecting the V-T shift and gate leakage, the design could induce some malfunction.

Automated summary

This work introduces a MIT virtual source GaNFET model for GaN IC design, successfully simulating the evolution of output waveforms in a monolithically integrated GaN driver circuit under switching stress, and demonstrating the significant impact of gate leakage on the gate voltage redistribution of power p-GaN gate HEMTs controlled by the integrated GaN driver.