Performance Evaluation of Silicon and GaN Switches for a Small Wireless Power Transfer System

In the last few years, the wide diffusion of rechargeable devices has fueled the research interest in wireless power transfer (WPT) technology that offers advantages such as safety, flexibility, and ease of use. Different standards have been developed over the years but a significant part of the global interest is focused on the inductive resonant wireless power transfer. By increasing the resonance frequency, an improvement in the transfer efficiency between transmit and receive coils is generally observed, at the expense, however, of an increase in losses in the switching devices that constitute the transmitting and receiving circuits. This study concerned the performance evaluation of a WPT transmitting circuit built using Gallium Nitride (GaN) or conventional silicon (Si) switching devices, to assess their specific contribution to the overall efficiency of the system. The overall performance of two circuits, respectively based on GaN HEMTs and Si MOSFETs, were compared at frequencies of the order of MHz under different operating conditions. The theory and design choices regarding the WPT circuit, the coils, and the resonant network are also discussed. The comparison shows that the GaN circuit typically performs better than the Si one, but a clear advantage of the GaN solution cannot be established under all operating conditions.

Automated summary

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in wireless power transfer technology due to the widespread use of rechargeable devices. This study evaluated the performance of a wireless power transfer circuit built using GaN or Si switching devices and compared their overall efficiency under different operating conditions. The results showed that GaN circuits generally perform better, although a clear advantage over Si circuits could not be established under all operating conditions.