Clearing Up Confusion About GaN Power Transistors (Part 2): Proving Power GaN Reliability

Focus:

In this second part of the article, the author explains how Transphorm performed reliability testing on its 650-V GaN power devices, offering an example of an appropriate process and test methods for commercial power devices. This article describes the company’s pre-conditions for reliability testing and the six boundary conditions they applied. Different types of device testing (accelerated, temperature cycling, power cycling and more) and the various failure modes are discussed. Test results are presented and analyzed at length including projections about mean lifetimes of the devices tested. Some of this discussion relates to JEDEC testing and how it has been applied to GaN devices. Among the many details covered here, the article shows how FIT rate calculations validate the application of silicon-based JEDEC qualification tests to GaN devices.

What you’ll learn:

• How to perform reliability testing on GaN power devices
• How to apply JEDEC qualification tests for silicon devices to GaN power devices
• How to interpret the results of JEDEC and other reliability testing on GaN power transistors

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Author & Publication:

Carl Blake, CBK Market Consulting, Fountain Valley, Calif., How2Power Today, Apr 15 2016

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