News: Microelectronics
30 January 2024
JEDEC publishes guidelines for reverse-bias reliability evaluation of GaN power conversion devices
The JEDEC Solid State Technology Association (which develops standards for the microelectronics industry) has published ‘JEP198: Guideline for Reverse Bias Reliability Evaluation Procedures for Gallium Nitride Power Conversion Devices’. Developed by the JC-70.1 Gallium Nitride Subcommittee of JEDEC’s JC-70 Wide Bandgap Power Conversion Semiconductor Committee (which was formed in October 2017 with 23 member companies, rising to over 80 now), JEP198 is available for free download from the JEDEC website.
JEP198 presents guidelines for evaluating the time-dependent breakdown (TDB) reliability of GaN power transistors. It is applicable to planar enhancement-mode, depletion-mode, GaN integrated power solutions, and cascode GaN power transistors.
The publication covers suggested stress conditions and related test parameters for evaluating the TDB reliability of GaN power transistors using the off-state bias. The stress conditions and test parameters for both High Temperature Reverse Bias Stress and Application Specific Stress-Testing are designed to evaluate the reliability of GaN transistors over their useful lifetime under accelerated stress conditions.
“We are becoming more dependent on power electronics in all facets of our daily lives. As such, the technologies behind those systems are advancing and so too must the device-specific qualification processes. The new GaN-focused Guideline for Reverse Bias Reliability Evaluation is a critical step toward achieving that goal,” says Ron Barr, Transphorm’s VP of quality & reliability and co-chair of the Task Group 701_1. “This was a collaborative effort conducted by both GaN semiconductor and end-product manufacturers… It is an important framework to ensure cross-industry uniformity that will, in the end, provide power system manufacturers the necessary confidence when designing with GaN devices,” he adds.
“With the rise of renewable energy and electrification of our lives, the efficiency of power semiconductors is becoming more critical. This is where GaN power semiconductors have proven to be a valuable technology. The Guideline for Reverse Bias Reliability Evaluation is another step in improving confidence in GaN technology and the products that are on and being brought to market,” says JC-70.1 chair Dr Kurt Smith, VP of reliability & qualification at VisIC Technologies. “This document was developed through collaboration of the multi-corporation team of industry experts to represent the best practices for evaluating GaN devices. It was a long multi-year process to reach consensus, and the team is to be commended for the quality document and all of the hard work that went into it.”
The next JC-70 committee meeting is being held on 26 February during the Applied Power Electronics Conference & Exposition (APEC 2024) in Long Beach, CA, USA.
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