GaN as a Missing Link in the Evolution of Efficient Mobility

Power semiconductors are routinely divided by their material properties, ie electron band gap: Silicon and Wide Band Gap devices. However, to use them successfully, one need to look on physical operation in application and distinguish by mode of operation in application and by fundamental physical design, which reflects failure mode in real conditions. The lateral nature of GaN HEMT is radically different from vertical MOSFETs of SiC and Si, and design principles and operation of E-mode and D-mode devices are consequentially radically different. Successful high efficiency performance of GaN HEMT for hard switching high power and soft switching low power is shown in this paper and the underlying physical reasons of success and failure are explained.