A Compact Double-Sided Cooling 650V/30A GaN Power Module With Low Parasitic Parameters

Compared with silicon and silicon carbide devices, the unique electrical and structural characteristics of gallium nitride high electron mobility transistors (GaN HEMTs) make them have different requirements for power module integration. This article proposes a novel integration scheme for the high-voltage lateral GaN HEMT dies without bonding wires. Based on the proposed integration scheme, a compact 650 V/30 A GaN power module with low parasitic parameters and high thermal performance is designed. The GaN dies are sandwiched between two ceramic substrates to improve thermal performance and ensure consistent thermal expansion coefficients. The multiple copper layer structure is used to increase wiring flexibility to reduce parasitic parameters. The design of gate and power loop layouts is discussed, and the common-mode (CM) capacitance is optimized. A comprehensive reliability evaluation is also carried out for this integration scheme. Finally, a double-sided cooling 650 V/30 A full-bridge GaN power module with 2.4 cmx1.3 cmx0.17 cm is fabricated. The thermal resistance is reduced by 30%-48% compared with the conventional single-sided cooling module. The power loop and gate loop inductances are reduced to 0.94 nH and 2 nH, respectively, and the CM capacitance is limited to 2.5 pF. The maximum dv/dt of the drain-source voltage is high as 150 V/ns with only 10% overshoot. Based on the power module, a 3.3-kW two-phase interleaved buck converter is developed. It has 820 W/in(3) power density and 98.85% peak efficiency.

Automated summary

This article proposes a novel integration scheme for high-voltage lateral GaN HEMT dies without bonding wires. A compact 650 V/30 A GaN power module is designed based on this scheme, which demonstrates improved thermal performance and reduced parasitic parameters. The article also discusses the design of gate and power loop layouts, as well as the optimization of common-mode capacitance. A comprehensive reliability evaluation is carried out, and a double-sided cooling 650 V/30 A full-bridge GaN power module is fabricated. A 3.3-kW two-phase interleaved buck converter is developed based on the power module with high power density and peak efficiency.