Review on Driving Circuits for Wide-Bandgap Semiconductor Switching Devices for Mid- to High-Power Applications

Abstract

Wide-bandgap (WBG) material-based switching devices such as gallium nitride (GaN) high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) and silicon carbide (SiC) metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) are considered very promising candidates for replacing conventional silicon (Si) MOSFETs for various advanced power conversion applications, mainly because of their capabilities of higher switching frequencies with less switching and conduction losses. However, to make the most of their advantages, it is crucial to understand the intrinsic differences between WBG- and Si-based switching devices and investigate effective means to safely, efficiently, and reliably utilize the WBG devices. This paper aims to provide engineers in the power engineering field a comprehensive understanding of WBG switching devices’ driving requirements, especially for mid- to high-power applications. First, the characteristics and operating principles of WBG switching devices and their commercial products within specific voltage ranges are explored. Next, considerations regarding the design of driving circuits for WBG switching devices are addressed, and commercial drivers designed for WBG switching devices are explored. Lastly, a review on typical papers concerning driving technologies for WBG switching devices in mid- to high-power applications is presented.

Charge vibration behaviour in polyimide under the pulse voltage with different rise and fall times

“…The inductance and capacitance of the external circuit make the rising and falling edges slow and its degree of influence depends on the time constant of the circuit. With the development and application of the wide-bandgap semiconductor silicon carbon (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN), the power and switching frequency become much higher than in conventional Si semiconductor devices [29] and can generate a pulse voltage with shorter rising and falling times [30,31]. The shorter rise time helps to increase the frequency of the switching devices and thus improves the efficiency of the power electronic equipment.…”

Epitaxial growth of 1D GaN-based heterostructures on various substrates for photonic and energy applications

“…Basic physical and electrical properties of GaN materials such as temperature, frequency, high conductivity, and power operation render this semiconductor a unique material of choice to address the requirements of future advanced systems in the field of radio frequency and power conversion applications. 2–4 …”

“…Basic physical and electrical properties of GaN materials such as temperature, frequency, high conductivity, and power operation render this semiconductor a unique material of choice to address the requirements of future advanced systems in the eld of radio frequency and power conversion applications. [2][3][4] The technological maturity of GaN has substantially increased in recent years; however, much research is required to fully use the capacity of GaN devices while maintaining costs comparable to those of silicon devices and satisfying the high demand for reliability and robustness necessary in application domains (automotive, consumer electronics, defense and aerospace, healthcare, information & communication technology, and industrial & power). [5][6][7][8] Silicon can be grown from a melt to make native substrates; 9-11 however, this is not possible for GaN at normal temperatures and pressures, and as a result, the development of GaN technology has been delayed for many years.…”

Editorial for the Special Issue on Wide Bandgap Based Devices: Design, Fabrication and Applications, Volume II

“…Not surprisingly, one-third of the papers [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ] focuses on GaN device technologies, which are important for next-generation high-efficiency power converters and their impellent contribution to the decarbonization of human activities. In addition, three papers [ 8 , 9 , 10 ] address GaN and SiC circuital applications in power conditioning systems. One paper deals with GaN LEDs [ 11 ], whereas three contributions [ 12 , 13 , 14 ] are concerned with III-nitride-based devices for sensing applications.…”

“…A power conditioning system is designed and built using SiC MOSFETs as switching devices by Ma et al in [ 8 ], which, by leveraging the excellent thermal and voltage capability of SiC MOSFETs, is suitable for grid-level energy storage systems based on vanadium redox flow batteries. A digitally controlled photovoltaic emulator based on an advanced GaN power converter is developed by Ma et al in [ 10 ], whereas in [ 9 ], the driving requirements of SiC MOSFETs and GaN HEMTs are illustrated, and the driving circuits designed for WBG switching devices are surveyed.…”