Design, Packaging, and Empirical Characterization of 1 kV Vertical GaN P-N Diode

This paper presents a complete development and implementation cycle for a ∼1 kV vertical GaN-based diode. First, the diode structure and fabrication details are discussed. Next, the vertical GaN (v-GaN) diode's die encapsulation in an appropriate packaging for application in real-world circuits is described. The effect of the encapsulation on the breakdown characteristics of the device is also scrutinized. Additionally, a double pulse test (DPT) experiment was performed with the packaged v-GaN diode to characterize its reverse recovery performance. The fabricated v-GaN diode shows significantly less reverse recovery current compared to a commercial silicon diode of similar rating. Finally, a model for the proposed diode was developed in SaberRD (Synopsis) and used in a buck converter simulation to perform an efficiency analysis compared to a model of the commercially available silicon diode. The simulation results show that the v-GaN diode achieved significantly better efficiency over a wide spectrum of frequencies. Thus, this paper presents the essential phases of development and implementation of a new vertical GaN diode, including the design of a target growth structure, fabrication of the device, encapsulation of the high voltage diode in a suitable package, and testing it in circuit boards.