An Overview of Strengths and Weaknesses in Using MOSFET Experience for Modeling GaN HEMT

Enrico Alfredo Bottaro and Santi Agatino Rizzo ()
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Enrico Alfredo Bottaro: Department of Electrical Electronic and Computer Engineering (DIEEI), University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy
Santi Agatino Rizzo: Department of Electrical Electronic and Computer Engineering (DIEEI), University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 18, 1-19

Abstract: GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) represent an emerging and key enabling technology for obtaining highly efficient and compact power electronic systems. The use of circuit models of power devices is essential for the optimal design of power converters, but while they have been deeply investigated for power MOSFETs and IGBTs, GaN HEMT models are still in their early stages. This paper first discusses the main similarities and differences between conventional MOSFETs and GaN HEMTs in terms of the datasheet information that the device manufacturers use to obtain the behavioral models that they usually provide as Spice-like netlists. Then, it highlights the strengths and weaknesses of using the behavioral models of MOSFET for GaN HEMT. To achieve this aim, a study of the existing GaN HEMT models revealed the lack of a proper modeling strategy for the dynamic conduction resistance, which is the most critical aspect of HEMT modeling. The difficulty is due to the dependence of the dynamic conduction resistance on quantities related to the application, which is a behavior absent in power MOSFETs. Consequently, future research efforts on GaN HEMT modeling must face this issue.

Keywords: circuit modeling; circuit simulation; GaN; power electronics device; SPICE (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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