Evaluation of 650V, 100A Direct-Drive GaN Power Switch for Electric Vehicle Powertrain Applications

Abstract

This paper presents the evaluation of a 650-V, 100-A, 22-mΩ rated D 3GaN (Direct Drive Depletion-mode) power switch (V22TC6581A) from VisIC Technologies, which is designed for electric vehicles (EV) powertrain inverter applications. The static and dynamic performance as well as the surge-energy and short-circuit robustness of the D 3 GaN were evaluated in a top-cooled surface-mount device package. Multiple customized test boards were employed to evaluate the switching loss, dynamic on-resistance, gate charge (Q g), and robustness. The D 3GaN switch has shown a small total Q g, high breakdown voltage, positive threshold voltage, small switching-energy loss, fast switching speed, and good robustness. These advantages make the D3GaN switch an attractive candidate for high-power EV powertrain inverter applications. To the best of our knowledge, this paper presents the first comprehensive evaluation of a high-power GaN device targeted for EV inverter applications.