News: Microelectronics
2 March 2020
JEDEC WBG Power Semiconductor Committee publishes ‘Guideline for Switching Reliability Evaluation Procedures for Gallium Nitride Power Conversion Devices’
The JEDEC Solid State Technology Association (which develops standards for the microelectronics industry) has announced the publication of JEP180: Guideline for Switching Reliability Evaluation Procedures for Gallium Nitride Power Conversion Devices. Developed by JEDEC’s JC-70 Committee for Wide Bandgap Power Electronic Conversion Semiconductors, JEP180 is available for free download from the JEDEC website.
To enable the adoption of GaN power transistors, both reliable operation in power conversion applications and switching lifetime need to be demonstrated, says JEDEC. Existing tests for silicon power transistors do not necessarily validate operation under actual-use conditions of power conversion equipment and may not be applicable for GaN power transistors.
To address this need, JEP180 is intended for use by manufacturers of GaN power transistors and power conversion equipment. For the first time since the introduction of GaN power transistors, JEP180 will enable manufacturers to evaluate the switching reliability of GaN power transistors and to assure their robustness at the technology level and in power conversion applications. The document provides guidelines for Switching Accelerated Life and Dynamic High-Temperature Operating-Life tests that are applicable to GaN planar enhancement-mode, depletion-mode, cascode power transistors, and integrated power solutions.
JEP180 was developed over a period of more than two years by experts from leading GaN power device manufacturers.
“This new guideline provides engineers a robust evaluation of switching behavior, which will further accelerate industry-wide adoption of GaN, especially in automotive and industrial markets where efficiency, power density and reliability matter the most,” says Dr Stephanie Watts Butler, GaN technology innovation architect at Texas Instruments and the chair of JC-70.
“This latest guideline covers switching reliability and helps assure successful usage of GaN devices in a wide range of applications by addressing one of the key topics identified by our committee members,” says Tim McDonald, senior advisor to Infineon’s CoolGaN program and the chair of the JC-70.1 subcommittee. “We continue in our work to build a full coverage of guidelines and standards for use of both GaN and SiC devices.”
Formed in October 2017 with 23 member companies, JC-70 now has over 60 member companies, underscoring industry interest in the development of universal standards to help advance the adoption of wide-bandgap (WBG) power technologies. Global multi-national corporations and technology startups from the USA, Europe, Middle East and Asia are working together to bring to the industry a set of standards for reliability, testing and parametrics of WBG power semiconductors. Committee members include industry leaders in power GaN and SiC semiconductors, as well as prospective users of wide-bandgap power devices, and test & measurement equipment suppliers. Technical experts from universities and national labs also provide input.
JEDEC says that interested companies worldwide are welcome to join it to participate in this standardization effort. JC-70 plans to hold four committee meetings in 2020, including a meeting co-located with the IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition (APEC) in New Orleans, Louisiana, on 16 March.
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